


A Connection Through Time

by animefan021513



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Action, Brother Feels, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Childhood Memories, E. Aster Bunnymund Feels, E. Aster Bunnymund Has Feelings, Epic Friendship, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt E. Aster Bunnymund, Ice Powers, Magic, Memories, Nature Magic, POV E. Aster Bunnymund, Secrets, Some Romance, Truth, names are important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 05:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18492307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animefan021513/pseuds/animefan021513
Summary: A spirit comes to attack the children of Burgess, and Bunny tries to go after her, and then Jack shows up. How is it that Jack seems to know her so well? Why does she seem scared of him? What happens when Bunny gets injured during the battle with the spirit? How will Jack take care of Bunny? What memories do Bunny's dreams hold? How well do Sandy and Bunny really know each other (No slash with that I swear)...What will Jack and Bunny find out about each other as Jack takes care of him? What secrets has Jack been hiding for the past couple of centuries? What does Mother Nature have to do with Jack's secrets? Why is Jack allowed to call her by her name? What does Manny have to do with it? READ AND FIND OUT!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fanfic Requested by J_A_B

"Still no signs of Pitch." I muttered to myself as I took one last check in the forest of Burgess. It was the middle of the night, and even though North and the others believe that Pitch won't be a problem again for a long time, that's too soon for me, and I didn't want to take any chances at him surprisin' us again. It's the middle of January in 2016 and I'm still on edge from 2012.

Just as I'm about to head back to the Warren, I hear a disturbin' number of growls and snarls, and considerin' I'm in the middle of the forest, that could be any number of things. I turn to face the sound and my eyes widen significantly as I watched six extremely large wolves come towards me. Their fur was all different and ranged from chestnut brown to ash gray. Each of them had to be about 6'6 because they were taller than me. Behind them was a woman with peach colored skin, medium length green hair, yellow eyes, and all of her clothes were made out of fur. She wore a short fur cape, a sleeveless shirt, long pants, and boots. "Well, if it isn't the Easter Bunny."

"What are ya doin' here? This isn't your area."

"Is that any way to speak to a lady?" She crossed her arms as she stepped forward.

"I don't know, I'll let ya know when I see one." I spat as I pulled out my boomerangs.

She staggered back a bit at my comment and shot me a pissed off look of disbelief. "How dare you!?"

"Wolfina, the last time I saw you was a hundred and fifty years ago, and you were being cast out by Mother Nature because you had sent your wolves on children and somehow learned to control Wendigo. Why she let you live is beyond me, but I can't have ya here near children. You were supposed to stay in the rain forest where no one would be able to find you."

"I left, obviously. You see, I don't quite agree with Mother's  _punishment_."

"And what do ya plan on doin' about it?" I questioned as I glared at her and her wolves, my boomerangs ready for a fight.

"Oh, nothing much, just going to dethrone her. The queen of Nature...Wolfina. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"Y-You...?" I couldn't help it, I started laughin'. I was clutchin' my sides and tears were falling from my eyes. "You think you can actually...!" I continued to bellow out my laugh as I held a hand out to a tree for support so I wouldn't fall over laughin'. "Ya really think ya can defeat Mother Nature!"

"Of course I do, I have my wolves and the Wendigo at my command."

"Oh my...!" I started laughin' some more. "...and you're damn confident about it too! Well..." I started as I tried to calm myself. "...not that it matters, but I know for a fact that you wouldn't be able to defeat her...and I still can't let ya near the little ankle-biters, so I'm only gonna ask once. Please leave and go back to the forest."

"I won't." She replied with pure agitation and defiance.

"Then, I guess I'm gonna have to make ya leave!" I growled out.

"Boys..." She started in a sing-song tone. "Lunch!"

Almost instantly the wolves started to attack, and I was tossin' my boomerangs at them, kickin' at them, and even usin' some of my more discreet powers of nature to cause them to either be held up or trip. It was goin' great so far, and the wolves hadn't gotten a single swipe in, but then it started to snow...a lot.  _'Dammit Frostbite!'_  I thought as I continued to fight.

"Snow?" I heard Wolfina question.

"Yeah! SNOW!" I heard Jack's voice boom with fury, and I was a bit stunned that it could hold such a sound. It practically sounded like a roar.

"JACK FROST!?" I heard Wolfina shout, and if I didn't know any better, I would say that through her clear rage, there was a hint of fear.  _'Someone's afraid of Jack? Someone like her?'_

"You never learn!" I heard him shout and that alone made my eyes go wide. I took the time to look in the direction of Jack and Wolfina, and he started to send electric ice after her. He leapt onto one of the wolves and slammed the butt of his staff down on one of the wolves heads, not only freezin' it, but killin' it. I was completely gobsmacked that Jack was capable of killin' a creature, but then again, he was a fighter, and although we still didn't get along much, I had to give it to him for his skills. "You bring these wolves, and you've given them a SPECIFIC taste for children! I know your tricks! Why are you here!?"

I started to continue my attack on the wolf in front of me, tryin' to take in Jack's words, and about a million questions started swimmin' through my head.  _'How long had they known each other? How did he learn about what she did with the wolves? When did he learn to kill? How many battles has he had to face in order to be able to fight like he does? The last question left me just a bit dazed, because if he had to square off against Wolfina enough times to where he learned her tricks?'_ Then, it brought forth an even more startlin' question. _'What other spirits has Jack had to face...alone?'_

"That's none of your business!" I heard her shout, interruptin' me from my thoughts, and that's when I noticed she took out her own sword to attack Jack.

"I'm making it my business! I won't let you hurt children!" He growled out as somethin' new shot out of his staff, or at the very least, somethin' I hadn't seen. Pure ice shards started bein' formed in mid-air and they all immediately started goin' after her as if they had a homin' signal on her. "I've already taken out two of your pets...if you don't want to make it more, go back to the rain forest! You will not harm any children!"

"You monster!" She shouted in panic as she jumped onto one of her wolves, and leapt into the sky at Jack. My eyes widened in horror as I watched her slash her sword at Jack in mid-air.

"JACK!" I shouted, but neither of them were payin' any attention to me anymore, and neither were the wolves as Jack fell to the ground, clutchin' his side. I was about to go and help him, when I watched him form an ice patch around the wound. "Jack?" I whispered out as the questions from earlier repeated themselves.

"I am NOT a MONSTER!" He screamed as he spun his staff in his palm, changing the direction of the blizzard, and to my immense surprise, he created a snow tornado that enveloped her, lifted her up into the air, and when he stopped spinnin' his staff, it disappeared as if it was never there.

"How can you say that, when winter kills!?" She screamed as she tried to get steady on her feet.

"LEAVE THIS AREA!" He shouted, not answerin' her question, and it only made the situation that much more concernin'. Then, he shot more ice shards at her while she was still unsteady, and she got bloodied up pretty good, but then she glared at me. She gave a wolfish grin and disappeared for a blink of a moment before comin' up behind me and before I could react, slashed my arms, legs, and back.

"I'll leave for now! But I'm giving you a little gift! Have fun, Jack Frost!" As my vision blurred I watched her and the remainder of her wolves disappear one by one.

I heard footsteps comin' towards me as I started to only be able to see silhouettes. "Oh...Bunny..." Jack's voice echoed, and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_I opened my eyes, and instantly knew it was dream-memory, because I was back on my world and that just wasn't possible. Also there was the fact that all of my dreams had only ever been memories that I would watch myself in as a spectator. I looked around and it was like watchin' a memory. I saw me and my younger brother out in one of the meadows and we were lookin' up at the stars. "Hey Aster..."_

_"What is it, Snow?" I asked him as my arms were folded behind my head, and my back laid comfortably in the grass._

_"Cut it out! You know my name is Snowdrop!"_

_"That I do, but ya still gonna be Snow to me."_

_"Whatever...forget I said anything."_

_"No, come on. What was it ya wanted to ask?" I chuckled as I watched a shooting star go by._

_"Well, you're a nature Pooka..."_

_"Yeah, thanks for remindin' me, I nearly forgot." I felt him shove me and we both chuckled a bit._

_"I'm serious."_

_"So am I. I'm pretty damn sure I'm a Nature Pooka..." Another shove and some more laughs, and then I calmed down. "...Alright, what of it?"_

_"Well...I'm a snow Pooka..."_

_"Good to know that ya know what ya are..."_

_"Can you not be an ass for five seconds?" He laughed out and the memory me smiled, while the observin' me rested on my haunches near the two of us and I had a depressed reminiscent expression._

_"I could...but that wouldn't be any fun."_

_"Oh, and you would know all about fun!" He chuckled out. "Well, it's just...I'm the only snow Pooka in our family. The rest of you are spring or summer...I was wondering what it felt like."_

_"What it felt like? I could ask you the same thing. What does it feel like when you use your Ice and Snow Magic?" I asked him as I turned my head and quirked an eyebrow._

_He rolled his eyes at me and repeated his question with a bit more detail. "What does it feel like when you heal others and when you use Nature Magic?"_

_"Tell ya what...you answer my question and I'll answer yours."_

_"But I asked first!"_

_"And I'm the oldest out of the six of us. Now, what does it feel like when you use your powers?"_

_"Well..." He trailed off, and disappointingly enough so did the dream._

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

Everything was still black, but I could hear voices near me, and I was in a helluva lot of pain. "...Yeah, she had her wolves with her."

"Do you know why she was there?" I heard Mother Nature question, and if I could, my eyes would've gone wide with shock, but I couldn't even twitch a muscle.  _'What is Mother Nature doing with Jack? Where am I?'_

"I think she wants to get back at you for her punishment."

"I see...I will look into it. I trust you'll take care of him?"

"I will."

"Good. I will be on my way then."

"I will see you later then, Emily."

"Farewell, Jack."

Again, if my eyes could go wide they would and if I could move I would've staggered back in shock.  _'Mother Nature trusted Jack with her true name!?'_

I heard a portal and then I heard it vanish. "Alright...now first things first..." I heard Jack start to speak and if I didn't know any better, I could swear there was a hint of sadness in his tone. "I'm going to have to clean your wounds."

 _'Great...Frostbite is lookin' after me.'_  I wish I had control of my body, because at that moment I would've groaned and rolled my eyes.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but..." I heard a piece of cloth gettin' dipped into a liquid, followed by it bein' wrung out. "...I'm going to clean the wound now, and it may sting...but you won't be able to react..."

_'What!? Why!?'_

Almost as if he read my mind he continued, "...because when she cut up your spine, she slashed it in the two different places, and damaged some nerves in the process. Emily...er...Mother Nature says that I should look after you and that even though it may take a long time, that you would eventually be better and would eventually be back to your old self."

 _'I...I AM paralyzed..._ ' Before I could continue the thought further, I felt the warm rag being placed on my fur, and as I felt Jack's fingers brush up against my arm I was surprised to find that they didn't feel like ice. They were cold, but the kind of cold your fingers get after bein' dipped in water. As he continued to gently clean the area he was at I mentally gave him my thanks for not scrubbing or rubbin' my fur the wrong way. He just continued to stroke the rag down my fur, and he took it away briefly to place it back in the water, wring it out, and continue down the same place.  _'How bad are my wounds?'_  I wondered, and once again, almost as if he could read my mind, Jack let out a sigh.

"You're wounds are pretty bad...I'm going to have to stitch them."

 _'Jack...can ya read my mind?'_  I attempted, because it was all gettin' way too weird, but if he couldn't hear my thought, then I would be forced to put it down to coincidence.

"Don't worry, I'll numb the areas before stitching them...after I'm done cleaning the wounds of course." He let out another sigh as he continued to clean the blood off my arm, and considerin' he didn't answer my question, I'm gonna assume that he can't read my mind. "I'm willing to bet that if you knew it was me treating you...you would rather just bleed out, but I couldn't leave you like that. Wolfina is cruel."

 _'J-Jack?'_  I thought in shock as a lump formed in my throat that I couldn't even swallow down.  _'D-Do ya really think that I dislike ya that much?'_

"Alright...I think that gash is done...but I have to work on the others...I'm..." His words began to trail off and I could hear anythin' anymore.

_**oOoOoOoOoOoOo** _

_I opened my eyes and I was once again on my home world. "Aster!" I heard Snow laugh out, and I started runnin' towards his laughter. As I caught up to it, I quickly realized that this was one of the memories of us racin' through the forest._

_"It's not my fault that you wanted to race!" I laughed out as I felt the wind in my fur, and the soft ground beneath my paws._

_"You're the one who challenged me!" He shouted as he started to catch up._

_"Nah, sorry, that's not how I remember it!" I shot back as I quickly made my way up towards the tree branches and started racing through the many trees, jumping off of the branches as I continued to be ahead of Snow, but not by much, because he was startin' to really catch up._

_"Of course it's not how you remember it!" He snickered as he jumped up into the trees to race on my level._

_All too soon, the dream started to fade._

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

"There...I think I've cleaned the last wound. Your back was the most difficult, but I'm pretty sure I got all of the blood. Now, I just have to numb the areas I'm gonna try and stitch." I felt his finger tap my arm, and for a brief second it was almost painfully cold, but then I didn't feel anythin' there. Not even my own fur. For what I knew to be about an hour and a half that's how it went for all of the other gashes on my arms and legs. Then, he carefully turned me onto my stomach, and did the same to my back. About twenty minutes after that, he lifted me up and propped me up against my pillows. "I'm going to have to bandage you. Trust me, it's not going to be a picnic for me either, but it's just a precaution."

I felt the bandages bein' wrapped carefully and perfectly tight around my abdomen, and then he moved me to scoot back down on the bed so I was layin' down again, and even though it was a bit difficult for him because, let's face it, compared to him, I ain't exactly a feather. Not to mention at the moment I'm basically dead weight. Then, he repeated the same action around my legs and arms.  _'Not bad, Frostbite...'_  I thought as I could feel that the bandages were all wrapped perfectly and even though they itched, I could feel that the stitches were precise, even, and they were holdin' the wounds closed.

"There!" He huffed out as I heard him flop back into a seat of some sort. "You're cleaned, stitched, and bandaged."

_'Yeah, and ya didn't do a half bad job. I'm actually kinda shocked.'_

"Now...Mother Nature casted a spell on your stomach so that you wouldn't have to worry about being hungry any time soon, or at the very least, until you're able to swallow, and once you're able to swallow, I'm going to make you food."

 _'Can ya even cook!?'_  I snorted in my mind.

"Now what to do until then...Mother Nature wanted me to stay in your Warren and look after you. She said she would speak with the Snow Queen about taking over my duties for now. I don't think she'll mind." He chuckled out, and let out a sigh. "Now seriously...what am I going to do...?" I heard his clothes shift and I also heard one of my googies come into the room. "Oh! Hello. I thought you guys didn't come out until spring..." I heard him lean down, and listened to the slightest scrape against the floor. "Well, do you happen to know if Ol' Cottontail has a library here?" I heard the googie jump out of his palm and back onto the floor. "Lead the way, then." He laughed out.

 _'Huh...the kid likes to read. Who knew?'_ I questioned as I started to drift off to sleep.

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

_"Never thought I'd see ya in here." I opened my eyes and I looked around. 'Huh...our library...'_

_"Yeah, yeah." Snow dismissed me as he sat in a chair, reading a book on flowers._

_"No, really, I thought ya had no idea this place existed!" I laughed out as I jumped from one of the upper levels of the library. Once I landed I walked over to him and he glared up at me in irritation with his blue eyes._

_Current me narrowed my eyes at Snow's and noticed how they were eerily similar to Jack's. Ignorin' it for now, I let the memory continue. "And with how you treat mother's garden, you'd think you were afraid you'd catch a desease of some sort. Honestly, who's heard of a spring Pooka that doesn't like a garden!" He chuckled as he shook his head and went back to reading._

_"I like gardens just fine! I just don't like how they're all orderly and...neatly placed. Nature should be wild, it should be free. If things were meant to grow there, then let them be. I'm fine with the fruit and vegetable garden and the orchard. It's just..."_

_"You don't like the flower garden..." Snow rolled his eyes. "...I know."_

_I let out a sigh as I sat in the chair across from him. "It's just...if the flowers were meant to be there, then leave them be, and if they weren't, then don't put them there."_

_"You do know...that sometimes it's a good thing to relocate flowers...right?"_

_"Yeah, I know..." I groaned out. "...doesn't mean I have to like it."_

_"No, it doesn't, but just as you know Nature was meant to be wild and free...you also know that it is meant to be taken care of."_

_"Yes, I know." I sighed. "And when did you get so responsible soundin'?"_

_"This is how I am when I come into the library. Just like when we're racing or when we're staring up at the stars, you actually seem to understand the concept of fun."_

_"I know how to have fun!"_

_"Yeah, okay!" He scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "What do you consider fun?"_

_"Let's see...racin'..."_

_"Ah uh..." He interrupted. "...I meant without me. Our other siblings have all left. You and I are all that are left in the burrow, apart from Mother and Father that is...So, without me, what do you do for fun?" He asked me as he closed his book._

_"I read, garden some, and I..."_

_"And you..."_

_"I paint."_

_His eyes shot up at me and they went incredibly wide. "You...you can paint!?"_

_"Yeah, I learned how to."_

_"Aster...Pooka don't know how to paint."_

_"Well, I do, and I learned, and I think it's fun!"_

_"Who taught you? You're only seventeen!"_

_"Yeah, and your eleven._ _Well, do you remember when The League of Star Captains came by to talk with mother and father?"_

_"Yes...they stayed for a year...they left about a month ago. I believe they were here to check on fearling activity."_

_"Yes! Well, there was a young recruit, same age as me! His name was Sanderson. While the higher ups spoke with Mother and Father, Father asked if he could keep an eye on me to keep me out of trouble while they visited."_

_"Right, they assigned me one too. His name was Jerold...weird old man..."_

_"I know! Anyway, Sanderson hadn't been with them for long, and I found out that he can't speak."_

_"He can't speak? Then how did you learn from him?"_

_"That's the weird thing! We had this strange connection. He thought it was weird too, but neither of us were complainin'. Anyway, I could hear his thoughts, but he also told me that he could communicate with his sand. So we spoke like that. He had never been to our planet before and he was given a brief description of us, but he didn't know what we were like. So, I told him. He asked if we knew of any arts. I told him we knew about gardenin', combat, and music. Then, he asked me about paintin'. I told him Pooka don't know how to paint, because we never bothered to learn. He was completely shocked by that. So, he decided to teach me a bit. He told me what plants I could use to turn into different colored paints, and he taught me how to make a paint brush. The first thing I painted was one of those runnin' eggs..."_

_"A Googie? You painted a Googie?" He snorted with wide eyes._

_"Yeah! And you wouldn't believe it, Snow, but it was the most beautiful thing ever!"_

_"Wow...you really do consider it fun." He blinked at me a few times. "What do Mother and Father think about it?"_

_"Oh, they were impressed. I wasn't sure about showin' Father, but once I did, he was impressed. He thanked Sanderson for teachin' me somethin' so unique."_

_"Huh...and what did Mother think?"_

_"Oh, she loved it! She wanted me to paint all of the Googies!"_

_"That would be kind of impossible, because they're everywhere."_

_"I know, but hey...you asked." I chuckled out and he began to laugh as well while the dream began to fade._

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

_'That was probably one of the longest dreams I've had in a long time...and back then, Sandy didn't look like the Sandy everyone else knew now. He was about Jack's height and was a bit more built than Jack was, even as he got older it never changed. Not until he got to Earth anyway, and its atmosphere did somethin' to him.'_  After I contemplated that, I heard the door to my room open. Judging by the sound of a staff and the lightness of feet, accompanied by the smell of Mint and Lavender, it was Jack.

"Alright, well...you're library is freaking huge! I read about two books, and then one of your 'googies' came to get me. I think I can see why. I'll be right back." I heard him leave, and for a moment I was confused, but then I felt my fur. It was damp and I had apparently sweated out a fever. I heard the door open again and I also heard water moving around in a bowl. "You sweated out a fever. I didn't even know rabbits could do that."

_'Well, Pooka can at least.'_

"I'm sorry you got into this situation."

 _'Sorry?'_  I questioned as I felt him start to wipe the sweat away from my fur. The water he was using was a cleansing water that smelled like lilac.  _'At least I'm not going to be sticky, but why are you sorry?'_  I internally rolled my eyes.  _'I can't help but think the question to him, because I can't actually talk to him!'_

"I feel like it's my fault. If I had gotten to you before she started cutting you up..."

Something tight appeared and disappeared in my chest as I listened to Jack blame himself.  _'It's not your fault, Jack.'_

"It seems that all I'm good at is making a big mess...bigger."

_'What are you talkin' about. You're takin' care of me. You cleaned my wounds, stitched me up, and bandaged me.'_

"Mother Nature told me that you usually start painting eggs around this time..."

 _'Technically I start painting a full month after the previous Easter, but this is when I start crunchin' for time.'_  I inwardly shrugged, but continued to listen to Jack babble.

"...I'm hoping you wake up soon." I can feel his hope. It's a powerful hope, but it's not just one hope like it usually is for spirits. It's going in more than one direction, and I can't tell what the other hopes are for, but I can tell he has a small but powerful hope that I'll wake up. "North and Tooth have been worried about you, but I think Sandy is more worried than any of us. When I asked him about it, he said that the two of you had known each other for a long time. He was kind of mad that I didn't tell him about the fight that happened two days ago, but when I told him today, he was at least appreciative that I told him and that I've been taking care of you."

_'TWO DAYS!? I've been asleep for two days!?'_

"You're wounds have gotten a lot better, but they're still pretty bad. The two on your back are the worst though." I heard him put the cloth back into the water and get up. "I'll be right back. I'm going to make you something to eat. It won't be much...just broth, but it'll be something." It must've been about thirty minutes before he came back, and I heard him carefully set the bowl down. Then, he started to adjust the pillows and lifted me up into a propped up sittin' position. "I know it's probably not comfortable, but it's the best I can do."

_'Better than what I thought you could do.'_

"Now, I'm not going to promise this'll be any good, but...I...after looking in my memory box, I remembered a lot of stuff. This was one of them. My mother used to make it for my sister and I when we would get sick."

 _'Ya had a sister? When did ya look at your memories? What did ya see?'_  I don't know why the questions appeared like rapid fire, but it seemed to dawn on me that I don't know much about Jack other than his name, his powers, and his position.

"Now...this'll be awkward for both of us...but if you can hear me...can you open your mouth?"

 _'Can I?'_  I asked myself, and it was strange, but it was almost as if I had to try and remember how to do it, but I was able to.

"That's great! So, you  _can_  hear me!" I heard him pick up the bowl, and felt a warm spoon hit my lips. I closed my lips around it, and allowed the broth to go down my throat.

 _'Not bad, Frostbite.'_  I thought as I tasted the broth.

"It's just garlic, hot water, chicken broth, onions, and some melted butter."

_'Huh...I used to make the same thing for Snow when he'd get sick.'_

For about fifteen minutes, Jack continued to carefully feed me until he started scrapin' the bottom of the bowl. "At least you have something in your belly now."

 _'At least there's that.'_  I inwardly chuckled.

"Like I said, your wounds are looking better. Your arms are healing up nicely and I didn't have to replace any of the stitches, but on your legs and back...I had to redo them. I hope you were asleep for that, because even though I numbed you, it seemed painful."

_'Didn't even notice, Jack. You're good, don't worry about it...even though you can't hear me...'_

"Sandy should be arriving any..." I heard the door open and smelled a new smell in the room. It smelled of the ocean, honeysuckle, and pine, and I instantly knew who it was. "...minute now." I could hear Jack's grin. "Hey, Sandy. Everything go well?"

"Yes, it did." I heard him say, and I wondered if Jack could hear his thoughts too. He didn't seem to be able to when he first got to the North Pole, but perhaps it was because he couldn't keep the thought straight in tellin' Jack what happened. "How is he?"

"He's...doing better at least. I had to restitch his legs and back...but I was able to ask him to open his mouth for food and he did. I think he's still awake..."

"He's awake, I can feel it."

"You can feel it?" I heard Jack ask in shock.

"I'm the Sandman, Jack." I heard him chuckle out, and Jack returned the laugh.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"I don't see why not." He sighed out as he too seemed to sit down in a chair.

"Am I the only one that can hear your voice? You know...what you really sound like?"

"No, Bunny can as well. He has been able to since the day we met. The two of you are quite the mystery to me."

 _'Well, that answers MY question.'_  I chuckled out in my head, but then curiosity got the better of me, so I kept an ear out for the conversation.

"Bunny can too? Wait...since the two of you met? How old are the two of you?"

"Old Jack." Sandy bellowed out in laughter. "Just...old."

"Like...a few thousand years?"

"Much much older than that." I could hear Sandy's grin.

"Okay...Trillions of years?"

I heard the chair topple over followed by Sandy's melodic laughter. "No! Starshine! No! Not that old!"

"Hey, you're the one that didn't give me a range." Jack laughed out.

"We're both the same age, but the closest number I'll give you to our age is...we're around eight billion years old."

"You're  _how old!?_ "

"Hey, you're the one that asked." Sandy chuckled low.

"Wow...old old."

"Yes...old old." He hummed.

"So...the two of you are the same age?"

"Yes, and our birthdays aren't that far apart either. Now, because I know he's awake, I won't say anymore on the subject of our age or how we met. I'll let him decide that, but I can tell you a little bit about him if you like." There was a mischievous tone in his voice and I inwardly groaned, because I knew this was payback.

"Why would you tell me about what he was like?"

"Payback."

"Wow, didn't know you had it in you."

"There's a lot you don't know, Jack."

"I can tell...well...yeah, I'd like to hear about him."

"Okay, but you have to truly promise that you won't tell anyone. I mean it, Jack. I'm not joking, and I will feel severely betrayed if you do."

"I...this is very important to you isn't it?"

"Very. I need to know that I can trust you. That you won't use the information as a prank or to tease him with. I need to know that you won't tell the other children or spirits. I need to know that it will remain between the three of us. Not even the other Guardians know the things I'm about to tell you, and I'm sure Bunny would be hurt if any of this got out, but..." I heard Sandy walk towards me and let out a sigh. "Bunny...do you think you can tap your finger against your thigh, just so that Jack knows you're awake?"

 _'Hmm...'_  I hummed and tried in the same manner I did with my mouth, and found that I could tap my index finger.

"Wow, he really is awake."

"Yes, he is...now Bunny...you know the things I'm going to tell Jack. I need to know that I have your permission to tell him these things. If you don't want him to know, I won't tell him. Do you trust Jack to know as long as he swears not to speak of it to absolutely anyone? If he promises that it stays between the three of us?"

_'That's a lot to ask for, Sandy.'_

"I know it's a lot to ask for, but I'm asking it anyway."

"Wait...can you hear  _his_  thoughts too?"

"Yes. It was a skill we gained when we were around thirty years old. Bunny...your answer?"

_'He has to swear that he won't tell anyone! He has to REALLY swear.'_

"Wow...you um...you don't mean..."

 _'I don't see why not. I don't know how much you know about Easter, Sandy, considerin' none of us have spoken about it since, but we failed as Guardians for Jack, and we failed as mentors. We abandoned him...and then without a second thought, he got Jamie to believe in me of all people. Not North, not Tooth, not you, not anyone else, and not even himself. That was just a happy accident...but I don't know how it happened. Either way...it happened. After that, he's proven his worth. He may still be annoyin' and a troublesome kid, but he's got a good heart, and he's been takin' care of me this whole time. I don't know how long I'll be like this...so I might as well trust my caretaker right?_ '

"That's...that's a lot of trust, Bunny. Are you sure?"

_'Sandy...you know what? I'll tell you what...you tell him one thing about me, and then he gets to tell you something about him so that I can hear. I'm sure Manny won't mind takin' over for a bit on givin' children sweet dreams. It won't be the same, but they'll still be good dreams...and that promise you're gonna make...I only asked it because I assume he's one of those trusted people to ya. Am I wrong?'_

"Hmm...You're not wrong at all actually. He is one of those people to me...very much so."

"What is it? What did he say? What kind of person am I to you?"

"A trusted person...Okay...first off, Jack...I'm going to ask you a question, and when you answer it...I need you to be completely honest. I'm going to ask you to swear something, and the way I'm going to ask it...when you answer...I'll know immediately if you're lying...because if you lie, or if you will someday betray your promise...you will be in pain immediately after answering. Now...are you certain you want to know more about Bunny?"

"I..." I heard him let out a thoughtful sigh followed by a light chuckle. "Yes. I want to know."

"Very well. First, I need to know your full mortal name. The name you had before you were a spirit."

"Oh, well...my name is Jackson Overland Frost."

"Truly?" I heard Sandy question, and I could practically hear his brow rise. I had to admit, I was a bit shocked myself. The kid's spirit name was also his actual name. Our names had been either shortened or altered, but all in all we had a piece of our name. Jack's name is truly his name. It just has a middle name too.

"Truly."

"Well, then...Jackson Overland Frost, do you swear to stay by our side as a best friend and brother to us no matter what? Do you swear that even if we SHOULD separate that you'll always think of us as your brothers? Do you swear to be trustworthy to us, no matter your emotion of us at the time? Do you swear to remain a true and faithful friend forever and always? Do you swear to take care of us in our time of need just as we will take care of you in your's? Do you swear that you'll protect our magic, our secrets, our words, our thoughts, and our friendship?"

"I swear."

To both of our surprise, neither of us heard any signs of pain, and I'm assumin' Sandy didn't see any signs of pain, which meant that Jack was really and truly going to keep his word. He would keep his word no matter how angry he may get with us or how much we may hurt him in the future. He would never tell anyone what he's about to hear. "My word..." I heard Sandy gasp with a smile on his face. "...well then..." He turned to me once more and placed a small hand on my forearm. "Bunny, do I have your permission to tell him things about your past before Earth?"

_'You can tell him whatever ya want. He's sworn to keep it a secret and apparently always will.'_

"Very well then. I won't tell him anything when you drift off to sleep which should be any moment now, but while you sleep, I'll tell Manny in private what I plan to do, and see if he doesn't mind watching over the children's dreams while you're awake, if I look after them while you sleep."

_'Sounds...good...to...me. Sandy...you put...dream...sand...on...me...didn't...you?'_

"Yes, I did." I could hear the mischievous smirk as I slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

_I opened my eyes and I watched as Sandy and I were sparrin' in the meadow that Snow and I usually laid down in to watch the stars. "You're keeping yourself wide open, Aster." He told me with a cocky grin as he then used one of his sand whips to wrap around my wrist, and he yanked me off the ground just before slammin' me back to the ground. This was the Sandy I remembered the most. He had pale peach colored skin, his eyes were the same sunset hue they always were, and his hair was a golden color that was wavy and when it was combed back it was at medium length, just barely brushin' against the bottom of his neck. He wore his League of Star Captains uniform which was form fitted armor that was a dark purple color, and had stars going up and down the legs from his ankles to his upper thighs. There were stripes of color that ran vertically along the arms and legs that determined rank. In order from least to greatest rank the colors were white, blue, green, red, orange, silver, and gold. Sandy had gold stripes, and he just got permission from the only person of higher rank than him to train me. Kozmotis Pitchiner himself...before the black gate swallowed him and turned him into Pitch Black. In this memory both of us had already stopped agin' a long time ago. We both stopped agin' at twenty and in the memory we were both thirty years old. Even though neither of us acted or looked like it._

_I laughed as I quickly got up. "And you're keepin' yourself to closed!" I told him as I ran up to him and started fightin' him one on one in hand to hand combat._

_"I'm the one trainin' you!"_

_"Oh come off it!" I laughed out. "We're the same...age!" I growled out the last word I was finally able to flip him to the ground. "So, do you give up?" I asked him as I had him pinned to the ground._

_"To you?" He gave me a cocky grin before shooting dream sand at my stomach, throwin' me completely off of him and onto my own backside. "I don't think so." He chuckled lightly. He then started back up with his whips, tryin' to get at my feet while I tried to stand back up. "If you can't catch your balance after being thrown down, you're going to have a difficult time fighting by my side in battle."_

_"Is that so?" I challenged and started runnin' at him on all fours, dodgin' all of his attacks, but before I could get to him he summoned a sand cloud and blasted off into the sky just out of my jumpin' height. "Oh that's cheatin'!"_

_"Aster, you seem to be under the impression that the enemy will be fair!" He laughed as he then sent his whips after me again. "You want to get to me? Use your surroundings and your abilities. Utilize everything you have and everything you are. Whether you like it or not, something that is a part of you may be the deciding factor of you winning a battle, or in this case, a sparring match."_

_"Starshine, Sandy! You're not makin' sense!"_

_"Yes I am. You just fail to listen to it. Basically, Aster...I am able to do things you can't...like use a sand cloud, and you are able to do things that I can't like...?" He motioned his hands as he rose his eyebrows in a challengin' fashion._

_My eyes went wide, and a wild smirk grew on my face as I placed my paws down to the ground and created my own whips. "Like this, Sandy?"_

_"Yes! Like that!" He laughed joyously as he avoided the vines._

_It took a while and A LOT of concentration, but I was finally able to get the vines to wrap around him, causin' his dream cloud to flow back into him and I brought him down hard against the ground. However, I didn't stop there. I focused on where he was layin' and I pounded the ground with my paw focusin' on what I wanted the ground to do, and it did exactly what I wanted. It made a hole beneath him, which he fell in, and it made another hold just in front of me where it pushed him out towards me. I quickly hooked my arms underneath his arms and held his back to my chest. "Do you give up now?"_

_"HA!" He laughed out and the sound was followed by lighter laughter that quickly died to chuckles. "Yes, you win this one, Aster." I let him go and he patted down his uniform. "How did you learn how to do that tunnel thing anyway?"_

_"My Father taught me. You know, he and my Mother taught me a lot about fightin' too."_

_"So...sorcerer, combatant, scholar, and painter." He drawled out sarcastically as he raised a brow at me. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"_

_"You betcha."_ _He nodded his head at me and gave me a thoughtful glance. "What is it, Sandy?"_

_"Well, there is something that Star Captains of high rank can do, but it's a very risky thing and can only be done with the most trustworthy of people."_

_"What is it, and why ya thinkin' about it?"_

_"Well...It's because I trust you the most."_

_"What about our general?"_

_"I trust him too, but if I'm asked to be honest, I trust you the absolute most."_

_"What? Why?"_

_"I can't explain it. The connection we share for one. You're the only one that can hear my thoughts, making it far easier to communicate with you. There's also the fact that I'm very good at sensing who I can trust and who I can't trust. I consider you to be a good friend."_

_"You're my best friend." I told him with a smile as I laid on the grass to watch the stars slowly appear._

_"You're mine too, Aster." He told me with a small smile as he made his way to lay on his back next to me, placing his arms behind his head like I did._

_"So what's the thing you can do with someone you trust?"_

_"It's not just something I can do with someone I trust. I can trust a lot of people. However, I can only REALLY trust a few people."_

_"I don't follow." I told him as I furrowed my brows up to the sky. Trust is trust isn't it?"_

_"I trust Kozmotis to be a good general. I trust Ethan to be a good soldier. I trust Liken to fight by my side. I trust people."_

_"Okay...but where do I fit into the equation?"_

_"I trust you with my life. I also trust that if I should die someday, that you won't mourn me forever because..."_

_"...it wouldn't be what ya want. I know."_

_"That's why. There's many more reasons, and some that I haven't been able to name yet, but I trusted you with my life. Not only that, but there are other things I trust you with."_

_"Like?" I asked with widened eyes and a poundin' heart, because not even my own siblin's trusted me that much._

_"My magic, my powers, my friendship, my secrets, my battle moves, my technique, my words, my thoughts...since you can hear them whether I mean for you too or not, and I trust you to never ever tell me even the smallest of lies. You've always been blunt with me no matter what."_

_"I don't like lyin'."_

_"I know, but you hold in your bluntness with others. You don't hold anything back with me. So, I know that I can trust you to speak your mind. You've already done it a number of times."_

_I winced let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry about that."_

_"Don't be, I just told you it's one of the reasons why I trust you so much."_

_"Right...ya still haven't told me what it is..."_

_"Oh, right...well...like I said...I can only do this with VERY FEW people...and you're the only one so far."_

_"What...are ya limited or somethin'?"_

_"I am. You see...Star Captains can only pick anywhere from one to three people they trust above all else. So far you're the only one. However, I spoke with Kozmotis about this, and he believes that you were meant to be my trusted person all along, because you could hear my thoughts. It's the best theory I've heard so far, and the other Star Captains agreed. Kozmotis also theorized that anyone who can hear my thoughts would have more than enough potential to be my trusted person."_

_"You're still not sayin' it."_

_"It's a promise." He huffed out with an embarrassed expression._

_I turned my head to face him with an amused smirk on my face. "A promise?"_

_"Yes...a promise...or rather...I can ask you to swear something to me with a few conditions, and if you agree...like say...I ask you to swear to stay by my side for as long as you are able...then if you say you agree...and you're lying...then the question will cause you excruciating pain, and anytime you see me, the pain will return. You won't ever be able to be by my side anymore as anything. Not a friend, not a foe, not an ally...you wouldn't be able to look at me. It's one of the highest defenses the Star Captains have."_

_"Ah...I see how that would be considered a bit risky."_

_"A BIT!?" He laughed out._

_"Yeah, a bit...if'n I didn't feel the same." I turned my eyes back to the stars and heard the gasp come from his mind. "You're a damn good friend, Sandy. You're like a brother to me." When I didn't hear anythin' for a while I turned to him to see what was wrong, and found tears slowly fallin' from his eyes. "SANDY!? What's wrong!?"_

_"N-Nothing." He replied quickly as he wiped away his tears._

_"Yeah, right. You're not gonna be able to pull the wool over this Pooka's eyes."_

_"No, I suppose not." He smiled at me, causin' the tears to fall faster. "I'm just...I'm touched."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because...I've been contemplating the promise I would ask of you...I've been thinking about it for ten years now."_

_"TEN YEARS!?"_

_"Yeah...how long have you considered me a brother?" He questioned me with a curious expression._

_"Since you taught me how to paint." I chuckled out as I looked back to the stars._

_"That's...but...that was..."_

_"Thirteen years ago. I know."_

_"Alright. Stand, Aster."_

_"Hmm?" I questioned as I quirked an eyebrow and glanced his way._

_"I said stand. C'mon."_

_I did as I was asked and stood on my feet. "Alright, now what?"_

_"Now, I ask you the question. Elliston Aster Bunnymund, do you swear to stay by my side as a best friend and brother to me no matter what? Do you swear that even if we SHOULD separate that you'll always think of me as your brother? Do you swear to be trustworthy to me, no matter your emotion of me at the time? Do you swear to remain a true and faithful friend forever and always? Do you swear to take care of me in my time of need just as I will take care of you in your's? Do you swear that you'll protect my magic, my secrets, my words, my thoughts, and my friendship?"_

_"I swear!" I answered without hesitation and I glowed a brilliant gold, but before it faded I quickly grabbed Sandy's arm in an arm shake as he instinctively grabbed my arm as well. "Will you do the same for me!?" I questioned quickly._

_"I swear!" He beamed at me, and then suddenly we were both glowin' so bright we had to cover our eyes. Once the glow was gone, there was a sudden blast to both of our cores and we were knocked a good twenty feet away from each other. "Oh..." I groaned out once I was able to get to my feet again. 'What just happened?' I asked in my mind, but when I looked up to see Sandy runnin' towards me, he suddenly stopped. 'Is he alright?' I questioned in my mind and then his jaw dropped. "Sandy...what is it?"_

_"I...I can hear your thoughts!"_

_"I thought you could before..."_

_"Not like this. I could hear singular words, but not full sentences. Just one word for every thought. Now...I can actually hear you! It must be because you asked the question back to me."_

_"Has that never happened before?"_

_"Not that I know of. We were never told of such a thing happening or even being possible, but you were already a bit impossible by being able to hear my thoughts."_

_"So we're just a couple of weirdos."_

_"Nothing wrong with that, is there?" He asked with a smug grin as he crossed his arms._

_"I don't think so." I chuckled out._

_"Good..."_

_"So...I'm not in pain..."_

_"No, you're not." He chuckled as he looked to the ground briefly before lookin' back up at me. "So...ready for another spar session...brother?"_

_"Oh, you are SO on!"_

_The dream began to fade, and the observin' me let out a reminiscent sigh just before it all turned to black._

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

"...asleep for a long time, but he's waking up now." I heard Sandy's voice.

 _'What happened?'_  I asked him carefully, wonderin' why I suddenly smelled soot, ginger, and peppermint.  _'What is North doin' here?'_

"Um...North, there's something no one else knows about Bunny and I...well...Jack knows, but..."

"Well...what is it?"

"I can read Bunny's thoughts and he can read mine. He's wondering what you're doing here."

"Yes...you told me that he would wake up, but not open his eyes...It has been three days since you put dream sand on his eyes...why did it take so long for Bunny to wake up?"

"It's because his body is also having to heal from the wounds. Now...can you tell Bunny why you're here?"

"Oh, right! I came to check on old friend. Jack and Mother Nature told us the situation, but I haven't been able to make it down here to check on him."

"He's doing as well as he can. Jack has been helping a lot."

"Jack? I thought  _you_  were helping! What can Jack possibly do? He is winter child, no? Wouldn't he hurt Bunny?"

Anger quickly filled my chest along with heartbreak for Jack, because he would be hurt if he knew North talked about him in such a way behind his back, and even though I have no clue why I'm so furious at North for reachin' an actual logical conclusion, I knew I couldn't let him say that. _'Don't talk about Jack like that behind his back!'_  I screamed in my mind, and I knew Sandy heard it, because he let out a sigh only I could hear at the moment.

"That's not very nice North."

"I...you're right, but..."

"But what?"

"Really...what can Jack do?"

"Who do you really think has been treating him this whole time? Who do you think cleaned his wounds, stitched him up, changed his bandages, bathed him, fed him, and made sure he always had clean blankets?"

_'J-Jack...did all of that for me?'_

_'Yes, he did, Aster. Now, let North Answer.'_  I heard him let out another sigh. "Well?" It was also so weird hearin' the difference between his actual thoughts and when he was talkin' to me. His thoughts sound like a distant echo on a mountain while his voice sounds like he's actually talkin' right next to me.

"I honestly thought you and Mother Nature were taking turns."

"No. Mother Nature is still hunting down the spirit that did this. Jack has been sharing duties with the Snow Queen. He should be here..." The door opened and I smelled Jack's scent except now it was mixed with pure snow. "...soon." I could hear Sandy's smile and could practically see him crossin' his arms.

"Sorry I'm late!" He breathed out as he rushed in. "B-Blizzard...out of...control! Had to...fix...it."

"I understand." Sandy told him telepathically.

"Oh, good." I heard Jack reply as he let out a heavy relieved breath.

"Good what? Sandy didn't hold up any symbols."

"Oh..." Sandy drawled out and if I was able to I would've laughed at the expression that was more than likely on his face.

"Oh what?"

"Um...Jack can hear my thoughts too..."

"Jack too!? How is this possible?" North wasn't angry, he was simply filled with awe and wonder. Sandy on the other hand...I could hear the hesitancy in his next words.

"It's not very easy to explain."

"Then explain it in the way you know it."

"Um...well...in my old life, there were special people that could uphold the strongest of oaths with one of my kind. The special people had to um...be unique. They had to be a bit different...and have certain requirements that they didn't consciously have to meet in order to get along with us. Kind of...a friendship at first sight kind of thing. Bunny and Jack are both those types of people to me. It's um...very strange and difficult to explain. It was a lot easier to explain a very long time ago..."

"So...Jack and Bunny are people you trust most?"

"I...how did you...?"

"Bah! Was not difficult to determine. Is fine, Sandy. It is good that you have not one, but TWO people that you trust that much. However...you still trust me, yes?"

"O-Of course!" I could hear the relief in Sandy's voice, and I felt bad, because I wasn't awake enough to reassure him.

"Very good then. Now that Jack is here, I will go back to Pole. Goodnight to you all."

"Goodnight, North." Sandy and Jack chorused together.

Once the sound of a portal bein' activated came and left Jack sat down in his chair and I could smell the same broth he made me last time. "Can I learn about Bunny now?"

"Hold on, Jack. There's a catch to this I didn't tell you before."

"Of course there is..." I chuckled inwardly at Jack's reaction, because I could FEEL the eye roll. "...Bunny, can you open your mouth? I have some broth here for you." I did as he asked and he started to feed me...again.

"By now...Tooth has let you witness all of your memories...and by now you feel them as your own memories as if you've had them the whole time, correct?"

"Yeah! I remember everything! Wait...oh...I see..."

"You catch on quick, Jack."

"So, you tell me something I tell you something?"

"Exactly, but since Bunny is the one incapacitated at the moment, how about you start with something about you?"

"Are we going in chronological order?"

"It may help."

"Alright then..."


	4. Chapter 4

"Well, I was born on January 1st, 1698 and my Father was the one who named me. My name, like I told you, was Jackson Overland Frost, and apparently I was born happy. After crying like all new born babies do, I apparently smiled a lot and rarely ever cried after that."

_'Huh...embodiment of Joy even back then.'_

"Why are you smiling, Sandy?" I heard Jack ask curiously.

"No reason. Keep going!"

"Ah, no. It's Bunny's turn."

_'My real full name is Elliston Aster Bunnymund and...'_

"Sandy? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

_'Um...Aster? Are you sure you want me to say that? Our full real names are almost as powerful if not more powerful than the promise between the three of us.'_

_'The promise is already made, Sandy. Might as well. Besides, he's not in pain, so that means it worked.'_

_'Yes, it worked, and he glowed like we did.'_

_'So...it's official?'_

_'Basically...are you sure?'_

_'Yes.'_

"Sandy? What's going on? You look like you saw a ghost."

"Nothing, Jack. It was something Aster told me just now, that's all. Anyway, his full real name is Elliston Aster Bunnymund."

"Wow, that sounds like a strong name...wait...Aster...that's a type of flower. That flower means...it means Star or A Star."

_'He knows the meanin' of flowers!?'_

"You know the meaning of flowers?" Sandy asked at the exact same time I did.

"Yeah, contrary to popular belief I like to read, and I know a lot about flowers, plants, gardening, and even about how to take care of trees."

_'That's strange...'_

_'What is it?'_

_'Snowdrop was a snow Pooka...but sometimes I would find him in the library unexpectedly and he when he was in there...he was usually reading somethin' that had to do with plants or gardenin' It was strange for a snow Pooka to take interest in plant life, but he did.'_

"Hmm...well, that's interesting to know." At the moment, I couldn't tell if he was talkin' to me or to Jack, so I was just gonna assume that he was talkin' to both of us.

"Yeah, well...what else about Bunny?"

"You're not going to use his name now that you know it?" I could tell Sandy's eyes went wide, and if I could, mine would've too, because I would've figured he would've wanted to immediately.

"I may know it, but I wasn't given permission to say it. I know how important names are. I only said earlier, not thinking of him, but the flower."

"I'm impressed...and proud of you." I heard Sandy tell him, more than likely with his eyes still wide.

"Yeah, well, I do know one spirits true name and she lets me call her it. Sometimes if I slip up when talking to her, she insists that I call her by her true name."

"Who would that be?" Sandy questioned curiously.

 _'Oh, you're not gonna believe it, mate.'_  I laughed out in my mind.

"Mother Nature."

"WHO!?"

"I take it you know her."

"Uh...yeah...you could say that." He let out a dry and unamused chuckle, which had me grinnin' like a fool on the inside. "I've known her since she was young, and when she came to Earth she didn't recognize me, but she found out who I was later...and she was a grown woman when she came to Earth, but yeah...I know her. She hasn't allowed ANY spirit to call her by her true name aside from me and Aster."

"I thought you said his name was Elliston."

"Yes, but he likes to go by Aster by me or Mother Nature. That's not the point...how did you come to be able to call her by her true name?"

I heard an uneasy shift come from the direction of Jack's sense, and my curiosity got piqued. "Awe, but I wanted to know more about Bunny..."

"You tell me about how you gained the ability to know and say her true name, and I'll tell you something no one knows about the Easter Bunny. Not just Aster in general, but about the Easter Bunny."

 _'Oh no...'_ I groaned in embarrassment.

_'Oh yes! I have to know this!'_

"You really want to know, huh?" Jack gasped in shock.

"Yes, I really do."

"Alright...um..."

Suddenly a the sound of wind blowin' through the leaves of a large tree erupted into the room, followed by the sent of roses, mint, and lavender.  _'Okay...why do Mother Nature and Jack have the same scent?'_

 _'Good question.'_  Sandy thought directly towards me. "Mother Nature, to what do we owe the honor?"

"And since when do you refer to me as Mother Nature in front of Aster?"

"Since Jack gave us the startling revelation that he's trusted with your true name." He shot back, and oh how I wished I could see. Her face must've been priceless with the gasp she let out.

"What all did he tell you?" I could hear the uneasiness in her voice, and I was growin' more interested by the second.

"I didn't tell them anything other than me knowing your true name."

"Ah...good..."

"Now I'm even more intrigued."

_'Yeah, no kidding.'_

"Sandy, Aster, there's really no need..."

"Oh, don't tell me you can read minds too!"

"You know for a fact that I can, Jack."

_'W-Why do I hear a smug smile!?'_

_'Because...there is one...and you're not going to believe this...but she's...blushing.'_  I heard Sandy reply with a stunned voice.

"I thought that was only with me though."

"No, I can do it for everyone. However, Aster and Sandy have a special connection. If Sandy and Aster want to speak privately all they have to do is focus on each other, and then no one, not even me, can hear their thoughts."

"Hmm..." Sandy started. "...still though, there's the matter of him knowing your name. Not even your own spirit children are allowed to call you anything more than 'Mother.' So, do you mind telling us?"

"Why should I tell you anything?" She nearly snapped, but I could clearly hear a slight bit of embarrassment in her voice.

"Do I really need to bring up how I personally know you?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Child...I would!" He laughed out defiantly and mischievously. "And considering that Jack had just been entrusted with Aster's name, I'd say I can. Oh, and by the way, Jack...I trust you with my name too. My name is..."

"You...don't have to tell him your full name...do you?"

"You know I do if I'm going to trust my name to him...and with your reaction, he knows your last name too."

"Yeah...I know she's Pitch's daughter, and that Pitch wasn't always Pitch..."

"Is that so?" At this point I could hear Sandy grinnin'. "Well...Jackson Overland Frost, I trust you with my full name. My name is Sanderson Mansnoozie Pitchiner."

"WHAT!?" I heard Jack shriek out while he toppled back in his chair, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

 _'Okay...I really have to try and see this!'_  I focused on my eyes like I did with my fingers and my mouth. It took a lot longer than I thought, but I was eventually able to scrunch my eyes, and slowly open them. The light was nearly blindin', but I was able to see perfectly fine soon, and the scene I saw before me was hilarious. Jack looked back and forth between Sandy and Mother Nature with his mouth completely agape, and he was still sittin' with his knees tucked awkwardly underneath him.

No one noticed I opened my eyes, and at the moment that was perfectly fine, because if they had, I'm pretty sure they would've stopped. "Can someone please explain this to me!?"

"Oh...well..." Mother Nature started as she started rubbing the back of her head.

 _'Now I'm even more curious about their relationship.'_  I told Sandy with my mind, and that's when he slowly glanced at me with a broad mischievous grin. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but then he turned to face Jack once more.  _'Don't let them know my eyes are open. I want to see this.'_

_'Very well.'_

_'Thank you.'_

_'Uh huh.'_ He chuckled lightly before placing a reassuring hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack, I'm Pitch's little brother." Sandy told him with a small smile. "We're about twelve years apart, but yes...I'm related to Pitch by blood and therefore..." He motioned to Mother Nature and she covered her eyes with her hand in childish embarrassment.

"You're Emily's Uncle..."

"And in manner of a promise and swear I made with Aster long ago, so is Aster. Now, will one of you be so kind to explain..."

"Wait...but...Sandy...this may sound like a weird and offensive question...but did you always...um..."

"Did I always look like this?"

"Yeah..." I watched as Jack scratched the back of his head in nervousness. It was a trait that Snowdrop had too. It was startin' to become a bit unnervin' with how much they were alike, but I'm sure I'll be able to find more out about that later.

"No, I didn't. I could show you if you like."

_'You can WHAT!?'_

"You can WHAT!?" Mother Nature asked as well.

"Oh, it took a very long time to get adjusted to Earth..." He started matter of factly, and I think I felt a nerve snap slightly, but I allowed him to continued. "...but I found I was able to do it. The only reason I didn't stay in that form is because I didn't want Pitch knowing I was alive. For right now, he thinks I'm dead, and I'm just a spirit that shares a portion of his brother's name and the same nickname. The only names he knows me by is Sandman, Sandy, and Sanderson. He doesn't know anything else. If he did, he would've tried to get me to join a  _very_  long time ago."

"I...Yeah, sure."

"Alright, now when I do this...this goes along with the promise you made with me and Aster."

"You...He...He made a Star Captain promise?"

"Yes, and as you can see, he will keep his word."

"I will, and I understand."

"Alright then." I watched in complete astonishment and disbelief as Sandy started to glow brightly and grew. Once the glow was gone, there stood a different man in front of us all. It was the man I knew back on my home world, and he was even wearin' his golden striped uniform. His hair was golden and combed back like it was back then, and his smirk broadened at both Jack and Mother Nature's reactions. Jack's dropped jaw from earlier had snapped shut, but Mother Nature's jaw dropped nearly to the floor. Sandy then turned to Mother Nature who immediately closed her dropped jaw as his eyes settled on her. "Now, Emily...would you please tell me why Jack is trusted with your name?"

"I well...um..."

"And perhaps...why he fell back in his chair when he realized I'm your uncle?"

_'I can't believe I'm sayin' this...but you said she was blushin', yeah?'_

_'Yes.'_

_'And Jack fell back in his chair at knowin' who you are...'_

_'Yes...'_

_'And she's been actin' all embarrassed?'_

_'What are you getting at?'_

_'They're together, Sandy. Together Together.'_

Sandy's eyes widened as a wide amused smile crossed his features. "Oh..." He said to all of us. "...the two of you are together...romantically."

"I...we um..." Mother Nature started to look incredibly embarrassed, and it reminded me of the shy yet wild child she used to be.

"And judging from how you're reacting..." He hummed in amusement, but there was a tone of shock there as well. "...it's not a recent development either."

"It um..." As she grew more and more flustered, I noticed that Jack's cheeks began blushin' brilliantly as well, causin' a dangerous question for all of us popped into my head.

_'Sandy...ask how far they've gone.'_

Somehow able to keep a straight and amused face, he began shoutin' at me with embarrassment and shock laced with every word in his mind,  _'WHAT!? WHY IN ALL OF THE STARS...WHY WOULD I ASK THAT!? YOU CAN'T SERIOUSLY THINK...!'_

_'JUST DO IT!'_

Sandy crossed his arms and looked at Mother Nature who was just an inch shorter than him, puttin' her at the height of 5'10, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe I'm asking this..." He muttered. "How far have the two of you gone?"

"You're not gonna try and give us the talk are you?" Jack asked as he lifted his chair back up and promptly sat in it.

"Nice to see you lightening up, but no. Both of you are far past the age for that. It's just something that I feel I need to know."

"Ah well..." Mother Nature started nervously.

Suddenly, a blue and green flash appeared in my bedroom and if it wasn't for the fact that I desperately wanted to have answers, I would've fainted right then and there. What came out of the flash of blue and green was a young woman physically older than Jack, but seemed to be seventeen or eighteen. She was wearing a sapphire blue dress with short sleeves, and as I looked at the bottom of the dress I noticed that there were many small snowflakes decorating the bottom of the dress that stopped at her ankles to reveal that she didn't have any shoes. She had black wavy hair that was at medium length and stopped just below her shoulders. When she turned around to face me, her eyes were ice blue.  _'Uh...Sandy...I think this gal answers your question.'_

 _'You don't mean...I mean...you can't mean she is...'_  He thought as both his jaw and his arms dropped at the young woman before him.

"Oh! Aster! We've never met! My name is Eira, but everyone knows me as the Snow Queen." She then turned to face Jack and Mother Nature who were standin' side by side now, and from the angle she faced them, I could see the soft smile she gave them. "Mother, you left in such a hurry saying that you sensed Father was getting anxious and that you were getting worried. I started to get worried too. Oh, and Father, I fixed a blizzard in New York for you. Oh! I forgot!" She whispered out in a higher tone. "I'm not supposed to call you Father outside of the Domain...I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, Eira." Jack told her as he rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her. She was shorter than both him and Mother Nature. She seemed to be 5'5. "You did well, and I think we were going to have to tell them anyway with how the conversation was going." He pulled out of the hug and looked to Mother Nature. "Emily...I think we should probably tell them..."

"Y-Yes, I think you should." Sandy whispered out in shock after swallowin' a lump in his throat.

"Right...Eira...this man right here...you may have seen him every now and then, but he's the Sandman. He's also known as Sandy. By blood he's your uncle, and by oath...Aster is also your uncle...that reminds me...Sandy...you may need to alter the oath Jack took."

"Oh...of course." Sandy turned to Jack held out his hand. "Jack, give me your hand, please." Jack did as he was asked and Sandy nodded his head. "Jackson Overland Frost, do you swear to stay by our side as a best friend? Do you swear that even if we SHOULD separate that you'll always think of us fondly? Do you swear to be trustworthy to us, no matter your emotion of us at the time? Do you swear to remain a true and faithful friend forever and always? Do you swear to take care of us in our time of need just as we will take care of you in your's? Do you swear that you'll protect our magic, our secrets, our words, our thoughts, and our friendship?"

I watched as Jack gave a bright and beaming smile, "I will!" He said, but then my eyes shot open so wide I thought my eyes were gonna fall out of my head. Jack quickly grabbed Sandy's arm in the same way I did, and Sandy's eyes widened as well as he instinctively grabbed Jack's arm. "Will you do the same for me?"

"I will!" Sandy gasped, and then I watched as they both glowed just before bein' slammed into the walls of my room. Thankfully nothin' got destroyed, but I don't envy their pain.

 _'Oh...'_  I heard Jack groan, and my eyes widened even wider when I realize that he didn't actually voice the groan.  _'...that hurt.'_

 _'Okay...that's twice that's happened...'_ Sandy mentioned in agitation.

 _'Um...guys?'_ I questioned cautiously.

Both Sandy and Jack looked at me in shock, and then at themselves. "What the...?" Jack started.

"It seems that the THREE of you now share that strange connection." Mother Nature mentioned in her own shock as she protected her daughter from the blast.

Sandy nodded his head as he lifted himself off of the floor. "Right...we'll get to that later...you were telling us about your daughter...which makes Aster and I Great Uncles."

"Right." Jack huffed out. "Eira, can you leave Mother and Father alone to talk with your...your uncles?"

"I have uncles!" She shouted as she twirled into the air.

"Yes, and you can't tell anyone. You have to promise me." Jack told her in a demandin' yet soft tone that could only ever come from a father, and I was continuously floored by Jack and the things I didn't know. "You know that your Mother will know if you're lying."

"I promise, I won't tell anyone. You have my word, Father."

"Not even the other Guardians."

"I promise."

"Hmm..." Jack hummed out. "...is she telling the truth, Emily?"

"She is. I sense it. Now, Eira...you must understand...there's a reason we ask this of you..."

"It's because if I tell other spirits they will start to hurt our family and may go after Father again like they often did a long time ago. I know, Mother, I'm not a child anymore, and I haven't been for a long time...I understand."

"Good. Now, go spread winter."

"Alright!" She shouted gleefully and another flash of green and blue shined briefly before leavin' along with the young woman it accompanied.

"Now..." Jack breathed out as he sat back in his chair, and I watched as Mother Nature made her own out of the earth my floor was made of. "...in order for you to know how Emily and I met, both of you will have to know how I became a spirit and..." He then looked at me and noticed my eyes were open. "...and how long have your eyes been open?"

_'For a while, mate. I wanted to know why Mother Nature was blushin', and now I know. Go on...story time!'_

"Wait! I want to make something clear, Jack. The new promise I had you make...it's for friendship. Basically the three of us are now best friends...even though since...well...I don't exactly know the full extent of your relationship with her but..."

"Well, if it's not too strange, you always kind of seemed like the fun uncle to me."

"That's a relief...and what about Aster?"

"Bunny...he's always been like an older brother. Even...anyway, getting off topic. Yes, I will consider Bunny my brother." He gave me a brief smile before letting out a heavy sigh. "I didn't become a spirit like the rest of you..."

 _'What do you mean?'_  I asked, suddenly not likin' where this conversation was headin'.

"What I mean is...Okay, so...it was my birthday. I had just turned fourteen, and for my birthday, my mother and father gifted both me and my sister skates so we could skate together for my birthday...Sarah was overjoyed and immediately started putting her skates on and went out to the ice before I could check it. I hadn't gotten my skates on yet, but I had my staff...and I heard her scream slightly, and then I saw the ice cracking underneath her." He let out another difficult and heavy sigh before continuin'. "I rushed out towards her with my staff, but then I had ice crack beneath me too, and I lost my staff...it slid about five to six feet away from me...maybe ten...I'm not sure, but it slid away. I put my skates on the ground and I told her everything was going to be alright and that I knew she was scared. I told her that she was going to be okay. I convinced her to play a game with me in order to keep her mind off the ice. I played hopscotch to get to my staff...then I had her do the same. Once I realized that her third step wasn't going to make it, I yanked her with the crook of my staff...knowingly switching places with her. Once I landed where she once was, and I looked to see her on stronger ice, I got up and laughed...I was overjoyed...but then the ice cracked and broke beneath me and I fell into the pond. I drowned...I died...and then the moon shined on me, changing my hair and eye color. My hair and eye color used to be maple brown."

 _'Huh...like Snowdrop's before he turned five...wait...'_  I directed my next thought directly to Jack.  _'YOU DIED!?'_  Then, I mentally thought to myself desperately,  _'Please say it isn't true. Please let all of that be a prank that I will SO kick your ass for later! Please tell me you didn't...'_

"Yeah, I died, but it's okay now. Really. The Man in the Moon brought me back to life. He told me my name and nothing else for three hundred years...but anyway...when he put me back on the pond I realized I had some kind of winter magic and I could feel it."

 _'Time to test the eerie comparison.'_  I thought to myself.  _'Jacky...'_

He scoffed at me with a smile. "Yeah, Cottontail?"

_'What did it feel like?'_

"What did it feel like? I could ask you the same thing. What does it feel like when you use your nature magic?" He repeated the question back to me, and I was already startin' to see the comparison to the conversation I had with Snowdrop, and my head started to ache with confusion.

_'Yeah, what does it feel like to use your Ice and Snow Magic?'_

"Hmm...tell ya what. You answer my question and I'll answer yours."

I physically swallowed a lump in my throat as both mine and Sandy's eyes widened.  _'But I asked first.'_

"Yeah, and I'm the youngest one in the room, and we introduced you to our daughter."

"I understand...and I apologize...but could ya just tell me...then I'll answer ya."

"Alright, alright..." He chuckled out. "It feels..." He gave a bright and delighted smile. A smile similar to the one Snowdrop gave me as he explained it to me. "...you know...you wouldn't think it, but it feels warm. It feels warm and cold all at the same time. It feels like a river rushing through me all over, and it makes me joyous. It's like it brings out all of the happy emotions in me when I use it. Even when I'm angry, it still feels like a calm happiness that...almost controlling the anger. It feels like joy in my veins." My heart pounded wildly against my chest with heartache, hope, confusion, and wonder. It was the EXACT explanation Snowdrop gave me. "B-Bunny? Why are you crying?"

_'I...don't worry about it, Jack...just...tell me more of how you and Mother Nature met. Please.'_

"A-Alright..." He nodded his head in agreement. "...well...shortly after, I went to the nearby village...and at this point...I have no memory of who I was. I thought I was born out of the pond...anyway, went to the village and got walked through a bunch of times. I walked back to the pond..."

"And that's where he met me." She smiled at me with a proud smile, and there was pure love in her eyes when her gaze returned to Jack. "Manny told me there was a very important spirit that he just brought to life, and he wanted me to look after him. I didn't even know he could bring someone back to life. Then, Jack came walking towards the pond and I was actually speechless for a moment. He was so handsome, thin, pale, and I could tell he was mischievous and wild. What the wind told me about him was that he was a joyous spirit and that he had a kind heart. I thought I was incredibly foolish for finding a spirit that was physically fourteen...attractive, but I did. Then he interrupted my thoughts by walking towards me with a gentlemanly smile."

"I greeted her, and I introduced myself, scared that she was looking at someone else, but she was looking at me, and I was overjoyed that someone saw me. She did the same and then some. She offered me to stay at her home, and I asked her where it was."

"I told him that the pond was actually one of the doors to my domain. I gave him permission to call it home, and I enchanted his staff to be able to come into my domain anytime he wished."

"And as the years went by...the more she trained me, and the more we spent time with each other...we fell in love. It wasn't until 1832 that I confessed to her after knowing I was in love with her for a full one hundred years. Most of my body didn't age, but my mental and emotional sides did. As I aged...so did my 'childish' side. I look like a kid, but inside, I'm all grown up. To put it bluntly...I'm physically fourteen, mentally twenty, and spiritually...well...including my human age...I'm three hundred and eighteen. It's just I have a childish side that I enjoy...a lot, and that I tend to cling to even when I don't mean to. I knew I was in love with her when we danced together for the first time in 1732. It was just on a whim, and it was because music was playing nearby, but my heart nearly stopped and I couldn't breathe. She was so beautiful. She's kind, gracious, gorgeous, intelligent, strong, fierce, wonderful, headstrong, and wild." He laughed the last word out. "However, after I confessed, I was convinced there was no way someone like her would have any romantic feelings towards me...mainly because I look like a teenager, and well...I wasn't exactly known for my manners or tact. Then, she told me she felt the same...and I fainted. I woke up an hour later, and immediately asked her for how long, and she said it was the same for her. When we first danced." He looked up from his hands, and noticed the looks on mine and Sandy's faces. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

 _'That's...'_  I started, dumbfounded.

"Jack, have you ever heard of True Love's First Kiss?" Sandy questioned with widened eyes.

"Of course." He answered with a furrowed brow.

"Well...for a..." Mother Nature held up her hand to stop Sandy and cleared her throat.

"Jack..." Mother Nature started. "...for a Pitchiner, it's different."

"How do you mean?"

"It's not True Love's First Kiss. It's True Loves First Dance."

"O-Oh..." He said with widened eyes in understandin'. "...So...when we danced...we both realized we were in love."

"Yes. We did." She smiled at him, and he gave her a wide toothy grin.

"So...about your daughter?" Sandy questioned with a smug grin that said, 'Are the two of you done being mushy? I have questions.'

"Oh! Yes...she's well...she's physically eighteen, mentally she's like Jack and is twenty, and spiritually she's...well...one hundred and eighty-three years old. However, she always recognizes Jack as being mentally and emotionally older than her no matter what he tries to tell her. It's almost like she can't help it, but he's her father so..."

 _'Wait a minute...so...she was born a year after the two of ya confessed to each other?'_ I asked carefully.

"Yes, and she grew like a normal child up until she turned eighteen."

Sandy's eyes widened and I immediately recognized the worried look. "How did no one know that you were pregnant? Wait...was it okay? I mean...was she okay? Were you okay?"

 _'Careful, Sandy...your 'concerned uncle' side is showin'.'_  I laughed in my mind, and got a chuckle from both Mother Nature and Jack, but Sandy flushed in embarrassment as he sent a quick and sharp glare my way before lookin' back at Jack and Mother Nature.

"The pregnancy...was difficult..." She sighed out, and earned a guilty and anxious expression from Sandy.

_'Let her finish, Sandy.'_

He nodded his head, and I knew it was at me, but Mother Nature took it as a 'go ahead'. "Jack was there for every part of it, and my spirits made an oath to me that they would never tell anyone. Not even so much as the animals or plants outside my domain. They swore to me, and even willingly offered to give up their powers as proof of their oath. They vowed to protect my child and love them as their own. I was extremely shocked by their excitement and the level of their devotion, and I accepted their oath. I was later extremely grateful that my water and fire spirit were both mid-wife's at one point. I got extremely sick a couple of times, but Jack helped me through it. He never left my side, and sent his sprites to spread winter without him."

"Wait...sprites? Jack commands sprites?" Sandy questioned in dumbfounded shock, and I had to agree with him on this one.

"You...none of you know what Jack is...do you?"

"Apparently not."

"Wow...does Manny have a lot of explaining to do. Well...he's many things, but the one you want to know right now is...yes, he commands sprites. He is the embodiment of winter. He has many names. The three I know the most are General Winter, Jack Frost, and the one I like to tease him about the most is...Old Man Winter. He IS winter. For every season there is a head of the season. Jack is the head of Winter. He just doesn't use the sprites unless he absolutely needs to...but he used them for me when I was pregnant and for most of Eira's childhood. Eira was born completely healthy, and with powers. She has equal measure of our powers. She can communicate with nature and animals, and if she so wished, she could bend the earth to her will, but she is also  _such_  a Daddy's girl...she enhanced her winter magic so she could travel with her father. However, every year, Jack would constantly ask the Man in the Moon why he was created if no one could see him but us. He wanted the mortals to see him. He wanted them to know him. He wanted to play with them...mostly the children."

"I love my family. I'd do anything for them...but it bothered me and angered me that I got nothing. No reason, no purpose, nothing. All of the other spirits knew what their purpose was and were seen by at least ten mortals...Children and adults. I was the only one with nothing from the Man in the Moon. No answers, no hints, and then I suddenly get tossed into a sack thrown into a magic portal...and told that I would be a Guardian. Frankly...it pissed me off. I didn't want to think of new ways to bribe kids. I wanted them to see me. It upset my daughter as well, but she has her Mother's patience and tact."

 _'And to think...I dared to say that he didn't care about children! I dared to say that he was irresponsible and selfish!'_  I heavily berated myself.  _'I barely knew him. All I had was a name and powers. I didn't know him as a person. I have to tell him...really tell him.'_  I purred slightly, testing out to see if I would even have vocal capability, and was pleased to find that I did. "J-Jack..." I rasped out, my throat dry sore from not being used.

"Bunny?" He asked carefully and just barely above a whisper.

"I-I'm...ngh..." I groaned out in pain as I willed my body to move. It was excruciatin', but I had to. I had wronged him too many times, and I'm sure there's more I've done wrong, but as a Guardian, sayin' another spirit doesn't care about children...to me that's almost taboo.

"You shouldn't be getting up!" He shouted as he rushed over to me, and helped me the rest of the way up against the pillows, quickly rearrangin' them behind me. "You stubborn rabbit!" He then immediately started checkin' my bandages. "You do realize that you could've reopened your stitches, don't you!?" Once he finally had me settled, I watched through the pain at how worried he was, but I had to say it. Not think it. Somethin' like this had to be said with effort and meanin'.

"J-Jack...I-I'm...Sorry." The weight of the words were nearly crushin' me, and the memory of EVERYTHIN' I had ever said to him came like an unwanted tidal wave, and I had to swallow multiple lumps in my throat that just did not want to go down.

"What? Sorry for what?"

"Everything!" I whimpered out as my heart wouldn't stop achin'.

"That...that doesn't tell me much...I don't...you haven't done anything wrong."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "J-Jack...I've...never...been kind...to you."

"No...but you didn't do anything that warrants you putting yourself in pain just to say sorry, and we've been friends for four years now..."

"I...when...your...image...came out...of the...crystal...tellin' us...you were...to be a...Guardian..." I breathed heavily, tryin' to catch my breath.

"I'll take that from here, Aster..." Sandy told me with a saddened and pitied expression. "When your image appeared from the crystal that tells us who a new Guardian is...Bunny said that you didn't care about children. He said that you were irresponsible and selfish, but before he could say more, North finished saying you were a Guardian."

"Oh...well...to everyone else other than Emily, Eira, and Emily's spirits...I always seemed like that. So...I can't blame him for thinking the same."

"Jack...it wasn't...right!" I told him as my heart started to ache even further.  _'He actually believes that's okay!?'_

"Maybe not, but even if I tried to defend myself no one would listen, so I never tried. I...I want you to know what really happened on the blizzard of '68. If you let her...Emily could..."

"Yeah...sure..."

"It will be like a dream, okay?" Mother Nature asked me as she walked closer to me with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Alright..."

"You'll be able to hear Jack's thoughts as your own..."

"Fine with...it. Just...get on...with it..." She nodded her head and tapped her fingers to both sides of my head, and everythin' went white.


	5. Chapter 5

_'And I'm flyin'.' I groaned out as I felt the wind against my fur, then I realized, I wasn't just flyin' but I was flyin' alongside Jack, and dawn seemed to be just about two or three hours away._

_'Where is she!? Where is she!?'_

_"Jack Frost!" I heard a woman's voice shout in desperation. I looked below us to where Jack was lookin' now, and I saw a small woman wearing a black leggin's and a light blue sweater flyin' up to meet him with her nearly transparent wings. She was only a bit bigger than Tooth's mini fairies._

_"Klaina! Have you found her?"_

_"No!"_

_"But you're sure those were wolf tracks?"_

_"Yes! I'm absolutely sure! The only thing is, they were bigger than normal wolves."_

_Jack's face grew dark immediately and his eyes held pure fury. "Then I know who took her! Do you know where the tracks ended?"_

_"In Burgess!"_

_"Lead me!"_

_"Of course, Jack!" I followed them at the same pace Jack was flyin' and man was this kid fast! Once we landed, Jack was immediately at the ready._

_"Wolfina! Get your ass out here now! Where's the Snow Queen!"_

_"Oh..." Wolfina cooed wickedly. "...you mean her?"_

_Jack spun around and we saw Wolfina on top of a giant black wolf and in the wolf's teeth was Eira. "What do you want with the Snow Queen?"_

_"Simple! I want her to freeze everything Mother Nature loves. I want her to make it snow where it isn't meant to snow. I want to take Mother Nature's favorite and turn it against her! She'll become quite compliant once I give her some of my blood."_

_"You're going to turn her into a werewolf!?"_

_"Oh yes. It shouldn't be too difficult. You see..."_ _She immediately stopped as Jack set his staff to the side of a tree, and my eyes widened. I had never once seen him let go of it, and the one time he ACCIDENTALLY let go of it, he ended up free fallin' until he hit the sleigh. "...what...are you...are you going to fight me without your staff? Or are you possibly surrendering?"_

_Jack's gaze snapped up at her, and I have never in my life seen a face look so dangerously and threateningly fierce. "Surrender to a mangy mutt like you? Not likely!" He growled out and then slammed both of his hands onto the ground and summoned a blizzard._

_'So he really did cause a blizzard...but why?'_

_Once there was about three feet of snow on the ground Jack stepped out of the snow to stand onto the firmer blanket of snow, and he repeated this action, but instead of causin' another blizzard or makin' this one worse, he raised his hands and two large wolves made of snow appeared. They looked as if a child or a group of children came together to make them, and they were the same size as Wolfina's wolves. Then, Jack snapped his fingers and the snow practically flew off of them to reveal extremely life like ice wolves. The wolves started growlin' with their teeth bared. "Have your beast drop her, or mine will find out what a wolf spirit tastes like."_

_'J-JACK!?' I shouted in pure astonishment and shock. The fact that the threat was said was nothin'. The fact the threat was said by JACK was everythin', and I was still reelin' that he just brought two wolves to life._

_"Oh, I'll put her down, but that doesn't mean I'll give her back to Mother Nature. Say..." She trailed off as she patted the wolf on the side. "...why do you care about her so much? Isn't she your rival? She's a winter spirit too, and you're obviously powerful, but so is she. Come, we can use her against Mother Nature together! We can use the winter general to get back at Mother Nature! Don't you think it's cruel that there are two winter spirits!?"_

_"Oh..." Jack stood straight up with his own wolfish grin. "...that's cute. You think SHE'S the winter general."_

_"Of course she is! She's called the Snow QUEEN! You're just a boy!"_

_"I am much more than that! Girls! Lunch!" The wolves barked and immediately went after her and the two wolves that accompanied her. Meanwhile, Jack had picked up his staff eerily calmly as he made his way to Eira that laid in the snow with streams of blood comin' off of her. Not enough to be worried, but enough to where she would be down for a couple of weeks. "Klaina!" Jack commanded._

_The fairy came back, but this time changed size and became as tall as Jack. Her appearance was the same, right down to her elf ears and snow white hair and eyes. "Yes, Jack?"_

_"Take her home."_

_"Of course." The fairy leaned down and carried Eira in her arms bridal style and like she was the lightest thing in the world. Suddenly a blue portal opened up behind the fairy and they were gone._

_Jack turned around and glared at the wolves he made. He whistled loudly and they instantly turned back into snow. "Wha-? How!?" Wolfina screeched as she jumped off of her bloodied wolf. At this point, there was more blood than fur._

_"I'll give you a hint. She. Is. Not. The. Winter. General!" Every word was growled out with every fierce and determined step._

_"Y-You!?"_

_"Yeah! Me!" He stated and then proceeded to shoot electric lightning at her. "Mother Nature spared you a hundred and two years ago!"  
_

_"A foolish mistake! I had been plotting since then!"_

_"Yes...a foolish mistake...on MY PART!" He screamed and miniature spears of ice were seen within the electric ice blast. When the blast hit her, it cut her up everywhere._

_"You!? Last I...checked...you're not...Mother Nature!" She breathed out in gasps of breath as she bled from her arms and legs, trying to stand._

_"I was the one that told her to spare you. To give you a chance, and now I see I was severely wrong!"_

_"Y-You...but...just how are you so powerful!? Why don't you use that power all the time!? Why do you use a staff!?"_

_'All good questions at the moment!' I thought loudly at the memory. 'Why not use them during the battle with Pitch!?'_

_"DID YOU NOT SEE WHAT I HAD TO DO TO CREATE THEM!? IT'S EASTER! THE EASTER BUNNY IS GOING TO BE OUT HERE TO GIVE EGGS TO CHILDREN AND HE WON'T BE ABLE TO HIDE THEM! THE CHILDREN IN THIS AREA WILL BE WITHOUT EASTER! HE IS THE GUARDIAN OF HOPE AND THE CHILDREN WILL NOT SEE ANY EGGS! THEY CANNOT COME OUT OF THEIR HOMES!" Once he was done screaming he let out a heavy sigh, tryin' to reign in his anger, and I felt horrid with guilt. 'That's why...' I thought, and Jack continued. "I don't like to use my powers like this, but you forced my hand."_

_"I still don't understand it!" She screeched in one heaved out breath, collapsin' to her knees, her wolves not far behind her._

_"And someone like you could never hope to." He sighed._

_A portal sounded and Mother Nature stepped out with a burnin' fury encompassin' her entire bein'. "You harmed the Snow Queen!"_

_"I thought she was your general!"_

_"JACK is my general! Either way, it doesn't give you any right! You're a corrupted spirit. Greed has consumed you! and you're a Glutton for power! Your Envy for others will be your downfall just as it is everyone's downfall!"_

_"You stripped me of rank! You stripped me of power!"_

_"You grew mad with it all! You were not a seasonal, and you were not an elemental, but you pretended like you had the power of one! You turned yourself into a werewolf one hundred and two years ago, and I didn't find that out until AFTER I banished you to the rain forest! You did that to yourself IN the Rain Forest! I thought you had control of it then, but you didn't and it was JACK'S request to spare you in the first place. To give you a chance to further grow into your powers, and grow you did! You grew even more mad with it. Now, tell me why you've taken the Snow Queen!?"_

_Jack stood proudly and fierce by Mother Nature's side as he practically growled out his answer with every syllable. "She was going to turn her into a werewolf and use her against you. She was going to make the Snow Queen obedient to her and have her use her winter powers to cause mayhem."_

_"Thank you, Jack!" She replied with an agitated tone and summoned another portal, but this one was a deep and ugly green mixed in with black. The portal moved and enveloped Wolfina and her wolves._

_"What did you do?"_

_"I put her back in the rain forest, but I also put her in a cell deep within a mountain. She's not getting out anytime soon, and her wolves will become mere carvings against a cave wall."_

_"Not anytime soon...which means she can eventually escape."_

_"Unfortunately, yes. Until she is long past dead...she will always be a threat."_

_"Are you going to kill her, because I..."_

_"I know...I know you won't kill. Not on purpose. Truthfully, I haven't decided. I still believe you're right. She just needs to grow into her new powers and find her place." She looked at Jack and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "How was the Snow Queen?"_

_"She's hurt. Badly. She'll need you." He gave her a chaste kiss in return. "You go, I'll take care of this."_

_"Alright...but where are you going to send it?"_

_"Antarctica like I always do, and I'll keep it under the radar so weathermen don't notice it."_

_"Good idea. I will leave you to it then. You know where I'll be if you need me."_

_"I'll be home soon."_

_"You better be." She chuckled out before steppin' back into a portal._

_"What a mess..." He shook his head as he looked down at all of the snow. He lifted into the air and along with him, the snow on the ground, but to anyone else, they would say he was makin' it snow even more, rather than takin' it away._

_"Wha-!? NO!" I heard myself shout, and I flinched as I watched me hop out onto the snow. Memory me looked up at Jack and instantly grew furious. "GET DOWN HERE YA DAMN MONSTER!"_

_'I-I said that...I c-called Jack a...a...' Tears fell from my eyes as I watched Jack let out a sigh and put on a fake smile. 'How many times has that fake smile appeared? How many times has no one noticed it? How many times has he taken the blame of bein' a troublesome winter spirit just for the sake of protectin' his family and their secret? How many times did he stifle down the hurt? How many times did he look at me and think of this day?'_

_'He's not going to listen to me.' Jack thought as he floated slowly down. 'Why would he? I DID ruin his holiday. He has every right to be angry with me, and it's not like anyone would believe that Jack Frost caused a blizzard to protect a spirit let alone his own daughter.' Once he was on the ground in front of me he leaned against his staff and gave another fake grin. "Bunny, funny seeing you here."_

_"Yeah right! Don't give me that! Do you have any idea what day it is!?"_

_"I believe it's Easter Sunday." He sighed out, and now that I was payin' closer attention I noticed that his grin faltered for a flicker of a second._

_"YA DAMN RIGHT! Do ya have any idea what you've done!? These children won't have Easter! Their parents will keep them indoors! It's spring ya Galah! Ya know what!? I'm waistin' my time! Ya don't care about children! Ya don't care about the lives that could've been lost in your damn blizzard ya were makin'! Ya only care about YOURSELF!' At my last word I swiped at him and clawed his cheek when I had only really meant to slap him, but back then I didn't care. I was to blind in my rage to care. However, the me watchin' the memory...I'm horrified and completely sickened with myself._

_Jack hissed in pain but only for a moment. He touched a finger to his cheek and froze the blood, and I could watch it healin' underneath, but I didn't notice it back then. While it was slowly healin' he stood straighter with his staff and let out a light chuckle. "Are you done?"_

_'Why didn't he fight back!? Why didn't he hit me!? Why didn't he yell at me!? Why didn't he defend himself!? From what I saw he certainly could've! Why didn't he...!?'_

_Before I could finish the thought I heard Jack's interrupt mine rather quickly while memory me seemed to contemplate his question. 'With how he's reacting...Easter is to him what Eira is to me. Something precious to be protected and looked after. Something that he loves more than himself. I can understand his anger. I just hope he doesn't stay mad for long...even though he has every right to stay mad. From where he was it looked like I was continuing it on purpose rather than trying to collect it and move it. Not only that, but I did cause it...'_

_"Yeah, I'm done! Oh, and you can keep that hope to yourself! I'm likely to be mad at ya for the rest of eternity! What kind of Monster goes and purposely ruins Easter!? You're lucky there's googies everywhere else in the world! Now, if you don't mind...those of us that actually give a damn about others...have work to do!"_

_He flew away without so much as a thought and the dream faded to white._

_**oOoOoOoOoOoOo** _

I woke up gaspin' for air and tears runnin' down my face at a constant pace. My heart was completely and utterly broken at what I saw.  _'He HAD cared. Even before he was a Guardian...he was lookin' out for the kids that we protected while also lookin' out for his own. He WASN'T selfish, he took everythin' I threw at him includin' the scratch on his cheek. He WAS responsible, because even though Wolfina caused him to create the blizzard, he owned up to it anyway, because it came from his powers.'_  My heart twisted in an ugly direction when I remembered what I had said to him, and the fact that Wolfina said the same thing to him almost a week ago...and he shouted at her that he wasn't a monster, but he ALLOWED me to call him one.  _'He isn't a monster...he...'_

"Bunny?" The concern in his voice was leavin' me completely breathless and seemed to shatter my heart even more.

 _'What had I done to earn any shred of concern!?'_  I shouted at myself, but apparently to Sandy as well.

 _'Perhaps you should ask...I saw what you saw...I was just awake for it. Part of the strange connection I suppose.'_  He told me and he seemed to have sympathy mixed with the pity in his tone.

 _'I...I don't deserve to talk to him.'_  I blinked my eyes and let out a slight whimper that I hated comin' from me. "J-Jack...I..."

"I'm sorry, Bunny."

"N-No...I...please...d-don't apologize..." I blinked away the tears and let out a shaky breath. "I'm still sorry for everythin'. I just..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for! That's why I wanted to show you...the blizzard of '68 WAS my fault...you had every right to be mad at me, and had every right to think what you thought of me. I never denied it. Not to you, and not to anyone else."

"I-I told ya not to hope! Jack...I'm the GUARDIAN of hope."

"Bunny..."

"I should've...I hurt you, Jack...I..."

"Bunny..." He tried again, louder, but I wasn't payin' attention.

"I didn't even...and then at Easter in 2012 I..."

"ASTER!" He shouted, and my jaw instantly snapped shut, and I turned my neck slowly, but painfully so that I could face him. Once my eyes were set on his, I noticed he was cryin'. _'No, what have I done now!?'_ I nearly panicked, but then his next words floored me. "I forgive you."

 _'How can three simple words hurt so damn much! How can they hurt, but feel like a healin' salve for my heart at the same time! The one person that has every reason to never forgive me...is forgivin' me anyway!'_  I closed my eyes and let out a shaky sigh. "Th-Thanks, Jack, but...what did I...do to...deserve that? What did I do to deserve your concern, because...as I see it...I never deserved it."

"You became my friend...and not only that, but I honestly don't think you did anything wrong. In '68...I DID cause a blizzard, and I unfortunately knew what I was doing and what the consequences would be."

"And Easter of...2012? What...happened before...and after?"

"I..."

"Mother Nature...will you...show me...what happened...between Pitch...and Jack?"

"Only if he's okay with it."

"I suppose I was going to have to tell the others sooner or later." Jack let out a sigh and nodded his head. "Go ahead."

Mother Nature tapped the right side of Jack's head lightly and then brought both of her hands to the sides of my head like before, and instead of everythin' goin' white, everythin' went black.

_**oOoOoOoOoOoOo** _

_"We should get back."_

_"Jack_

_"Tha-that voice, I know that voice."_

_"What voice?" Baby Tooth questioned with concern. Meanwhile I'm floatin' there in complete shock. 'He can understand the fairies!?'_

_"Jack" I flew off to a rounded air vent on a roof, then gasped as I heard her voice again. "Jack"_

_He dashed off through the air towards the pond where we held his oath pond and landed on the ground as Baby Tooth spoke again, "Jack! We need to get back!"_

_"Jack?" He followed the voice again and this time it led him to a bed. "Jack?"_

_I followed him as he jumped down the hole, and watched as Baby Tooth started tuggin' on his hoodie. "Baby Tooth, Baby Tooth, come on! I have to find out what that is!" He flew up to the cages and quickly tried to tell them to be quiet. "Shhh, keep it down! I'm gonna get you out of here just as soon as..."_

_"Jack?...Jack!"_

_"...As I can." His expression dropped as he looked down to where his name was bein' called by a young girl, and he immediately dropped down to the teeth canisters, and started diggin'._

_"Looking for something?" With a furious if not slightly worried expression, Jack immediately shot an ice energy blast towards Pitch's voice, and at the moment, I couldn't even think straight, because of Jack bein' down here with Pitch and so far...what we thought happened hadn't happened yet. "Don't be afraid, Jack...I'm not gonna hurt you."_

_"Afraid? I'm not afraid of you."_

_"Maybe not. But you are afraid of something."_

_"You think so, huh?"_

_"I know so! It's the one thing I always know...people's greatest fears. Yours is that no one will ever believe in you." Suddenly, we found ourselves droppin' through the floor and into another corridor. As we herd him laugh I noticed how much Jack had started scramblin' to get out, but to no avail. "And worst of all, you're afraid you'll never know why. Why you?" I watched with a guilty and worried heart as Jack bounded back and forth in the darkness, and I could hear the poundin' in his chest. "Why were you chosen? To be like this. Well fear not, for the answer to that...is right here." Pitch held out a tooth box to him and gave Jack a wicked and knowin' smirk. "Do you want them, Jack? Your memories?" Jack reached out, but quickly drew his hand back, causin' Pitch to start laughin' once again as he went through the shadows once more. "Everything you wanted to know...in this little box." He laughed some more as Jack started to chase him. "Why did you end up like this? Unseen, unable to reach out to anyone? You want the answers so badly. You want to grab them and fly off with them, but you're afraid of what the Guardians will think! You're afraid of disappointing them. Well let me ease your mind about one thing: they'll never accept you, not really..."_

_"Stop it, stop it!"_  He growled out in agony as I could tell Pitch was slowly gettin' into his head.

_"After all, you're not one of them."_

_"You don't know what I am!" He challenged as he pointed his staff at Pitch._

_"Of Course I do! You're Jack Frost! You make a mess wherever you go! Why, you're doing it right now."_

_"What did you do?" He asked with an anxiously curious tone._

_"More to the point Jack, what did you do?"_

_Jack chased him through the darkness, his staff glowin' with power, and then he didn't see him. He turned around, but faced a wall. One of MY walls. Then, he seemed ot notice somethin' else. "Baby Tooth!"_

_"Happy Easter, Jack..."_

_"No..."_ _We both looked at the broken eggs, and I could see the physical heartbreak on Jack's face. 'No...I messed up Easter...again!' And all too quickly everythin' shifted back to white._

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

When I opened my eyes I noticed Sandy's hands were covered over his mouth.  _'It happened shortly after you died...we thought that Jack had...we thought he had traded Baby Tooth for his memories when he showed up with them.'_ I cleared my throat and looked at Jack and Mother Nature. "Don't tell me...you're sorry for...that?"

"If I hadn't have been stupid enough to chase after the voice I..."

"YOU wouldn't have...seen your memories. YOU...wouldn't have been...chased off by us...and put yourself...stars know where. YOU wouldn't...have found out...who ya were. YOU wouldn't...have...realized your center. Ya may...have not told us...everythin' that happened...but ya did tell us...that seein' your memories...helped a great...deal. It's nothin' to be...sorry for. If anythin'...we should all be...sorry that we assumed ya...traded Baby Tooth for...your memories. After all...you did save her...from...nightmare horses in mid-air."

"Bunny?" He asked me cautiously as he stepped closer to my bed, then I heard a gasp come from him. "You stupid fluff butt! You opened your stitches!" He quickly left, and I was alone with the piercin' gaze of Mother Nature, and the disapprovin' glare of my best friend.


	6. Chapter 6

"I already tried apologizin'. Don't look at me like that."

"Aster, we know you already tried to apologize. It's just..."

"Just what? What else...am I supposed...to apologize for?"

Sandy quickly held up his hands to me to reassure me. "Nothing, but it's been a full week since your fight with Wolfina...your dreams kept you under longer than I thought they would." My eyes widened at Sandy's words, but I couldn't bring myself to say anythin'. "Jack may not know, but the three of us do..."

"Fine! When she sliced me up she damaged my healin' capabilities. I'm pretty sure there was somethin' in that blade. Happy now?"

Mother Nature grinned triumphantly at me as she crossed her arms in a childish manner. "Very. At least you admit it...but you should've told Jack by now."

"I have been in and out of it, and the days are blurrin' together. Not to mention the startlin' revelation that Jack has a kid, and that your his...wait a minute...you said that the two of you had a kid together but..."

"He's my husband." She interrupted proudly.

"Wait...if your relationship was meant to be a secret..." I looked at her with a questionin' gaze, and she smiled at me.

"Manny did. I talked with him about it, and I had to tell Jack that all he would be doing is preforming the ceremony. He was upset, of course, but Manny gave him a sort of wedding present. One that he COULD give anyway. He added to Jack's powers and mixed it with a little nature magic."

"Like creatin' wolves out of snow?"

"Like creating wolves out of snow." She repeated with a broad grin. "He can do other stuff too, but that's for him to tell you."

"What did Manny give you?"

"My husband." She chuckled out.

"No, seriously." I smirked at her, and received an amused laugh in return.

"Well, my answer wasn't entirely wrong. He gave me the ability to sense what he's feeling. If there's ever a need...I can be at his side."

"Why weren't you there for the battle with Pitch?"

"Manny told me not to. He said that it was something Jack had to experience and choose on his own. Considering everything he's done for me and Jack already, I didn't mind."

"So...you felt everythin' he felt since he joined us?"

"Yes, and we had quite the discussion after." She let out a heavy sigh as she seemed to remember whatever conversation she had with Jack. "He told me about what Pitch tried to do. After you all turned him away...Pitch tried to get him to join him. He almost succeeded to, if it wasn't the fact that Jack found out that he was more interested in being feared rather than believed in."

"I...we almost led him into darkness without even realizin' it."

"He denied him. I saw his memory of it. He told him basically point blank that it wasn't what he wanted, and demanded that Pitch leave him alone. Then, he walked away from him. However, he used Baby Tooth as a hostage and in order to give her up, he told Jack the exchange was the staff for the fairy."

"The staff?"

"Yes, there's a reason why he never lets it go. Well...apart from we're at home or if he knows he'll grab it almost immediately. It's a part of him. Jack gave him his staff, but he wouldn't give up the fairy, and that fairy pecked him hard in the thumb. He threw her against a wall, and then he snapped Jack's staff...essentially snapping his heart and soul in half."

"What did you feel on your end?" I quickly asked as my eyes widened with worry for both of them.

"I...I thought he was dead...I yelled at Manny...no...I screamed at him. He listened to my rant for about fifteen minutes before he told me that Jack would be okay and that he would still live. Then, right after he told me that, I felt his heart and soul..."

"But...how is that possible?"

"He repaired his own heart and soul as he repaired the staff. I doubt he realizes what he's done as I haven't told him just how much he's connected to the staff. All he knows is that it is a part of him and his powers. What he doesn't know...is that it's connected to his heart and soul, and that's why it caused him so much pain when it was snapped. He told me how he repaired his staff, and I have to say...I've never heard of such a thing..."

"How did he do it?"

"He focused on everything that the Guardians represented. Wonder, Hope, Memories, but the one he focused the most on due to how his memories made him feel was..."

"Hope. He felt hope and used it..." I let out short, but dry laugh as I looked back up to my ceilin'. "That kid is somethin' else."

"He is NOT a kid."

"Physically he is...and to me...and Sandy...at OUR age? Oh yeah...he's a kid."

"None the less...he's a lot more grown up than he seems. He's right, he clings to his childish side, but also there are times when he can't help it. It's never a bad thing in my opinion, but more often than not...the other spirits have seen his childish side."

I smelled Jack's scent at my door and immediately casted my gaze there. "Are we done talking about me?" He laughed out as he came in with a tray filled with medical equipment. "Good..." He set the tray down on my nightstand and started unwrappin' the bandages around my right arm.

Once he got the last bit of bandages off I let out a sigh of relief for a moment. "Ya know...ya don't have to do this."

"Sure I do." Jack replied as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "We're like brothers you and I, Cottontail."

 _'Yeah...'_  I thought, focusin' on Mother Nature and Sandy rather than Jack.  _'...problem is...I already had a brother, and you're eerily similar to him.'_

_'Ask Manny.'_

_'Do you know somethin'?'_

_'No, but I think after everything you've been through and after everything he's put Jack through...I think he'll be willing to tell you everything that was involved in bringing Jack to life. Bringing back the dead is no easy feat and is supposed to be considered near impossible. I've been intrigued for over three hundred years, but I'm not going to ask. I think it needs to be you.'_

I quickly hissed in pain at the feelin' of Jack's finger numbin' the areas on my body that he needed to be restitched and he immediately started cleanin' and gettin' to work. "Say, where did you learn how to mend wounds anyway?" I asked as the pain dulled quicker than expected.

A fond smile appeared on Jack's face as he started to slowly stitch my arm back up. "You wouldn't believe how much of a mischievous wild child Eira was...and IS. When she was three she decided to try and make an ice slide, but there were rough shards in some places, because of course, she's three and it's not going to be perfect...but she scratched her legs up pretty good. One of Emily's fire spirits talked me through sewing the wound together after one of the thunder spirits told me how to clean it. After that...I can't tell you how many times I've had to tend to her wounds."

"Where was Mother Nature?"

"Aster...at this point you and Sandy can just call me Emily."

"Fine..." I told her with an appreciative smile. "Where was Emily?"

"She was helping another spirit. I believe it was the summer spirit..."

"Huh...wait...do Emily's spirits listen to ya? I mean...they seem to help ya, but..."

"They listen to him about some things." Mother Nature answered as she rubbed the back of her neck. "You see..."

"When we're all in the domain they call me Father..." Jack grinned with an embarrassed tint of pink on his face as he pulled the whole stitch closed and cut it.

"Wait...Father? Ya mean ya have more kids?"

"Not biologically no. The only one I'm a Father to biologically is Eira..." He chuckled out. "...but they've all honestly treated me like I'm their father for a very long time, long before Eira was born, but because I DO have a kid, and she's mine and Emily's...when we got married it was as if I really..."

"Almost as if you _really_ adopted the rest of Emily's spirits."

"Honestly...I wasn't thinking of it like that when I married her, but right when we said our vows and kissed...even the physically older ones started rushing at me and calling me Father Nature or just Father. However, they only ever call me that in the domain. We got married two months after we confessed and then..."

"Oh...so...Eira was conceived on the weddin' night." I chuckled out mischievously.

"Yes, she was." Emily stated with a proud and smug grin. "The things the other spirits listen to him on is anything and everything concerning me or Eira, how the children of the world are doing...considering a lot of them can't go near children, and they love to hear about what he's done with his winter magic, even if it's just snow here and there. I swear they practically hang on his every word. The one thing they never listened to him about is when he was having self doubt, when he was depressed, when he continuously said he was fine, and basically...whenever he was feeling down. He has their help any time he wishes it, but they also know that unless it's an emergency he would never ask it...like his sprites. He was the one to ask the spirits for help during my pregnancy and they were overjoyed that he asked for their help...it was kind of like children being allowed to work with their Father or spend more time with their Father, and be given the chance to make their Father proud. It was rather amusing, especially from the much older spirits. It's like they all took to Jack instantly when we got married. They already like him after three decades of me training him, but it was almost as if when we got Married...they linked themselves to Jack."

"Perhaps they did." Sandy suggested. "They recognize themselves as your children, I know they do. So, Bunny may not be too far off. Once he married you, he became their Father. Were there any rejections?"

"No, in fact..." Emily's eyes widened and a smile grew on her face. "...they were quite insistent that we get married as soon as possible."

"Perhaps they saw something the two of you didn't see until you confessed."

"Perhaps indeed."

"Alright alright..." Jack laughed out. "Now, I believe I've earned at least five stories on Aster's past. Sandy, you said you would tell me something no one else knew about the Easter Bunny."

"Oh no..." I groaned out and my ears went back in embarrassment.

"Oh yes!" Sandy and Jack shouted with excitement.

"Okay..." Sandy started as he practically jumped in excitement. "...now, as you know...in order to be an expert at anything...someone has to teach you first, and ASTER is an EXPERT painter, yes?"

"WHOA! Are you kidding me? Bunny was taught? I thought it was a natural born gift or something!"

"Thank ya for the flattery, mate, but no." I rolled my eyes and fixed my gaze to the ceilin'.

"Well...do you know who taught Bunny to paint?" Jack asked, and I turned to face Sandy who was givin' a wicked mischievous grin.

"You're looking at him." He replied confidently.

"Y-You!? You taught Bunny how to paint!?"

"Yes, I did. He didn't know how, and for some reason I couldn't let it go. So, I taught him what plants could be turned into different types of paints and colors. I also taught him how to make his own brushes. Within a year, he was painting anything he could get his hands on. Eventually he settled on painting googies."

"Wait...the eggs? You mean that's not just a word he uses for eggs?"

"Nope!" I answered with a soft chuckle. "Googies on my world were like weeds or dandelions on your world. They. Were. Everywhere! However, they were filled with chocolate, and if you wanted to ya could add flavors inside of them. Dependin' on the color of flower that it bloomed out of depended on the type of chocolate was inside. Pink was dark chocolate, Orange was milk chocolate, Blue was bitter chocolate, and Purple was salted chocolate. No one knows why...but that's the way it was."

"Wow! That must've been so awesome eating all of that chocolate!"

"Ah...no...chocolate was bad for us...or well...not exactly bad but...it..."

"It would change them." Sandy offered simply. "There was once where Aster willingly ate chocolate and gave himself extra arms...but it also affected the way he thought and acted. Aster is a Pooka, and although they were already similar to humans as far as being intelligent and having emotions...they were a very rational race. They didn't do anything without a reason. They didn't follow a gut instinct or jump into action if the need arose...everything was planned and methodical. Aster and his little brother...they were a bit different...but when Aster came to earth and we fought Pitch the first time...he willingly ate chocolate and later gained the capability to understand and feel more human like emotions even further than he could previously, and started following his instincts more than a strategy."

"Oh...I see. Well, I'm glad you ate chocolate then, and I'll remember not to give you any. Wait...do North and Tooth know?"

"Oh yeah...they know." I laughed lightly.

"Okay...what else?"

"I also trained him in combat when we were older."

"YOU trained HIM? I thought the two of you were the same age."

"We are, but I had more training in combat than he did, and I was the highest rank next to the Lord High General of the Galaxies. All I had to do was ask him, I did, and I started training Aster. He had training from his father, but only enough to where he could hold his own. Not enough to ensure a victory."

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"Hey...I just had a thought..." I started as I was reminded that Jack had seemed hopeful and shocked that he possibly had a family. "...if you already...had a family...you know...with Emily bein' your wife and Eira bein' your daughter...why were you so happy that you might've...had a family...in your old life?"

"Because, it meant that somewhere I may have living relatives...descendants of whoever I may have been related to, but even if I was an only child...it meant that I had a life before this one, and that maybe...just maybe it held the secret to who I was. There was that, and if I had living descendants...then Eira would have relatives to."

"Did ya find out if ya had livin' descendants?"

"Yeah, I did. My sister had a bunch of children apparently, and you're not gonna believe this...but Jamie is one of them!"

"JAMIE!? Your first believer?"

"Yeah!" He shouted in his childish tone. "I haven't told him yet..."

"Wait...so he was what...nine when he first saw ya?"

"Yeah...he's thirteen now!"

"And he still believes?"

"I believed in all of you all the way to age fourteen." He shrugged, and I couldn't say anythin' against it, because he had a point. "I've told Eira, and she's gone to see him, but I don't know if the belief thing is the same for her..."

"Should be. She's a spirit." Sandy answered. "I've heard mentions of a Snow Queen sometime in the mid 1600's so I don't see why not."

"Huh...I'll talk to her about it."

"Hey..." I mentioned. "...if you got Jamie to believe in you, maybe...you can get him to believe...in her too. Mention that you're related...that should really get him to believe."

"I think it would be a great idea." Emily chimed with a delighted expression. I smiled at her and then looked to Jack.

"Alright...after you're all better...we can ALL visit Jamie. You're coming too, Emily."

"Very well...I would like to meet your first believer as well. Now...I think we've bothered Aster enough, and I'm sure Eira will want to know that you're alright."

"Oh! Right! I almost forgot! We planned for a snowball fight in Antarctica!"

"I'll see ya later then, Frostbite."

"Later, Aster!" He took the tray of medical equipment out of the room and made a hasty retreat, followed by Emily.

Once they were gone, it was just me and Sandy. "Well...that was all certainly surprising." I heard him sigh out.

"No kiddin'. The kid...has a kid."

Sandy rolled his eyes before lookin' at me with a small smirk. "I don't think you can call him a kid anymore."

"No...I suppose not." My eyes widened in a brief realization. "Oh, Strewth!"

"What is it?" He questioned me with a worried expression.

"Jack said some time last year that North was like a father to him, right? And North had said the same thing about Jack a year before last, right?"

"Yes..." He drawled out with a furrowed brow.

"If they're serious about bein' like Father and Son...that means that North has a Granddaughter! Not only that...but Mother Nature is his daughter in law!"

Sandy's eyes opened wide at the realization as well and he covered his mouth to hide the grin that was spreadin' fast across his face. "And he sees Tooth like a mother figure and Baby Tooth like a sister."

"I think the family just got a whole helluva lot bigger."

"I think you're right. I wonder if he'll ever tell them."

"I don't think we left him with much of a choice. He'll eventually have to, because now we know."

"Yes...and we should protect that knowledge as much as they protected it."

"I agree."

"Good...now get some rest. I'm not going to put dream sand on you, because I can see how tired you already are. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sandy."

"You're welcome."


	7. Chapter 7

_When I opened my eyes, that I hadn't realized I had closed, I realized almost immediately that it wasn't a normal dream. "Alright...now why am I on the moon?"_

_"Ah, good of you to make it Aster!" I whipped my head around and saw Manny walkin' towards me._

_"M-Manny!?"_

_"Yes?" He asked me with a patient smile._

_"This isn't a dream!?" I asked him as I quickly looked around, feelin' off about the whole thing._

_"Oh...it is...of a sort. I understand you may have questions regarding Jack Frost."_

_"Uh...I do, but I...wasn't expectin'..."_

_"I understand, but this is a discussion I had to make with you in person."_

_"Alright...I'm listenin'. How did you bring Jack back to life?"_

_"He wasn't completely dead yet. His heart had stopped and he had stopped breathing, but only a portion of his soul had slipped away, while the rest was holding on desperately. Now...I know I'm not supposed to meddle in the afairs of time, but..."_

_"You went back in time!? Wait...his soul?"_

_"Yes...it's very very old magic, even old from when I did it...but I..."_

_"Manny...what did you do?" I questioned with a sinkin' feelin' in my belly._

_"Let me show you a memory..."_ _Without warnin' he immediately placed his right hand on the side of my head, and everythin went red._

_**oOoOoOoOoOoOo** _

_I looked around and immediately tears were brought to my eyes, and my heart practically disappeared with how broken it became at the sight. 'Dammit, Manny! Why are we here!?' I mentally asked as I looked around and there was fire everywhere. Pooka and young kits screamin' and runnin' for a safety they would never find._

_'Go to your burrow, Aster. This is when you were among the stars fighting.'_

_Without havin' to be told twice, I took off through the fires and screams and dashed for my burrow. Once I was inside, I heard talkin' and it was comin' from Snow's room. I walked in and my eyes went wide while my jaw dropped immediately. "You're name is Snowdrop?"_

_"Yes...and...you look familiar, but not. I'm scared..." Snow said as he held tight to his ears like a kit would when they were extremely frightened._

_"I know...and to my understanding...Elliston Aster Bunnymund is your older brother?"_

_"Yes...he's in the stars trying to protect us...but they're everywhere...I want to help, I want to be there for him, but I can't."_

_"No...perhaps not now, but...Snowdrop...I am from the future..."_

_"You...YOU'RE TIME TRAVELING!? That's forbidden! You're never supposed to mess with time!"_

_"I know...but you see...when I'm from...your brother...he's a good Pooka...but..."_

_"He's...he'll be the last...won't he?"_

_"How did you...?"_

_"With the way the battle is going...the only one out of all of us that could ever have any hope of surviving would be my brother."_

_"Hope...funny you should say that. He's the Guardian of it, and he protects children of Earth...but he isn't quite whole...He loves the children and his friends...but...he's still not quite whole."_

_"And I'm guessing you didn't just TIME TRAVEL to tell me that my older brother is only half of a Pooka..."_

_"No...I did not. You see...you're right...he's the last...and the battle will be lost. As much as I wish I could change it...I can't. Someday...I will show him this memory and it will be painful for him, but there is...it's not an easy offer, and it's a very ancient magic...even ancient in your time now and is often frowned upon, but I believe...it'll help him."_

_"You...wait...are you..."_

_"Do you know why I'm speaking with you?"_

_"It...it sounds as if you're trying to ask me to do soul magic...that's the only reason why you would be talking to me, and how it would make him better...and whole. It's...the only logical conclusion."_

_"You are very correct."_

_"Y-You know soul magic!?"_

_"I do...but like I said...it's often frowned upon."_

_"Yes, even more than Time Travel."_

_"Tell me quick, what do you know of soul magic."_

_"I know that as long as half of a soul remains another can be placed alongside it, but the only way that can happen is if it's an absolute perfect match. For example...for what you're asking of me...there would have to be someone that would've already basically been another version of me...a..."_

_"It would have to be you reincarnated. That's the only way I would be able to place your soul along his."_

_"So...you know of such a person?"_

_"Yes, I do. He is a good person, and he IS your reincarnation. He is passionate, loving, kind, caring, mischievous, eager, intelligent, patient, and as much as he loves spring...has a deep connection to winter."_

_"I...I won't know Aster when I see him...neither will my reincarnation..."_

_"Eventually you might. It's difficult to say. I've heard of it happening...but I believe it'll give Aster what he severely needs. He needs you. His brother, and unfortunately I also know the fate of your reincarnation. He is to die young...at the human age of fourteen, but I can help him...if you let me." Manny breathed out and tears were spillin' from his eyes. "I know this...is a lot to ask, and I wouldn't do this if I didn't..."_

_"YES!" Snow said without hesitation and with a proud look on his face._

_"So...you..."_

_"I will do it for Aster...and the child that is my reincarnation. He will likely not be happy with either of us...but I love my brother. He's always been there. I feel like this would be the ultimate way to repay him."_

_"I..." Manny breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you!"_

_"You are very welcome...and you said someday you'll show Aster this memory?"_

_"Yes."_

_Snow smiled and looked to the floor. "I don't know which direction to look towards, Aster...but when you see this...know that I love you, and I miss you, and that I'm so very proud of you. I'm proud that you're my brother, and have no regrets doing this, because I love you that much. You've been there for me through all of the difficult times and even when I would lash out...you were always there. Please...don't be angry with me...or whoever shares my soul...We're your brother, and we love you. If he is anything like me...he's likely to be trouble, but he'll love you like I do, and you're my precious big brother. Now...I will forever be that...even when the battle is lost...my soul will live on." He then looked up to Manny and my vision was gettin' cloudy from all the tears that were spillin' from my eyes. I held a paw up to my face and a soft smile grew on my face. "I'm ready."_

_"Very well..." Manny nodded with tears still spillin' from his eyes. "...lay down."_

_My vision went grey and I no longer saw my brother and Manny._

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

_When I opened my eyes I immediately fell on my ass and looked up at Manny who was cryin' large wet tears, and if I didn't know any better, I would say he was afraid. "I-I'm sorry, Aster. I understand if you..."_

_I wasn't gonna let him finish that sentence. I leapt up and wrapped my arms around him. 'To hell with propriety! I don't care that he's a prince!' "Thank you!" I whispered out as my own tears started to fall from my eyes._

_"Th-Thank you!? Y-You're thanking me!?" He questioned with a shakin' and unsure voice. He then wrapped his arms around me as well. "I thought...I thought you would be mad at me for what I did to your brother...and for the time traveling...but I..."_

_"I'm not mad! I swear that I'm not mad..." I released him from my hug and I crouched low on my haunches as I began to sob happy tears. "M-My brother...he's alive! He may not remember me and he may not be a Pooka anymore...but he's alive and he..." I placed a paw over my eyes as I continued to sob, and I shakily added, "...he has a daughter! I have a niece!"_

_"Y-You're truly not angry with me." It wasn't a question, but a realization and it took everythin' I had to not wrap him up into another hug._

_"You g-gave me my b-brother back! H-How could I b-be mad!? I know about soul magic...I...I know what it involves...and he was willin'...and he...he lives. My little brother...oh...I had wondered why he and Jack were so similar, and it was startin' to be concernin'...but now that I know...it makes so much more sense! They're the same person and I..." My heart suddenly twisted horribly and painfully and I collapsed once more. "I...I called him a monster..." I quickly looked up at Manny who was also cryin' tears of happiness while he held a look of sympathy. "Wait...does Jack know? Does he know who he is?"_

_"I honestly don't know. Like I told Snowdrop...I've heard of it happening, but something drastic would've had to trigger it. I don't know if he knows, or rather...remembers...but even if he does..."_

_"It wouldn't change who he is. I understand. He would still be Jack, but he would be Jack...with the memories of Snow. They're the same person after all. I also understand that if he does remember, then he would essentially become both." I then let out a giddy laugh as I realized even further, "That's why his eyes look like Snow's..."_

_"The eyes ARE the windows to the soul."_

_"I...yes they are." I breathed out with an overjoyed expression._

_"So...you're truly not angry with me?"_

_"No. I am more grateful than words can say. I could never...honestly, Manny, I could never hope to repay you."_

_"You've done enough by not being angry with me for the soul magic and for time traveling." He beamed at me. "I...I hope you understand...that's why I couldn't speak to Jack for three hundred years."_

_"Oh...that makes sense now..."_

_"I hope so..." He chuckled out through wet tears. "Now...I think you should wake up now." With a bright smile from Manny, my surroundin's quickly faded into a bright green glow._

**_oOoOoOoOoOoOo_ **

"...ster! Aster, wake up!" I heard Jack's voice callin' to me desperately. My eyes shot wide open as I looked up at him. "Are...are you okay? You were crying. I thought you were having a bad dream."

My heart clenched violently and the Hope I felt sang throughout my entire body as I leapt up and wrapped my arms around Jack. "No...I had a very very good dream. The best one ever in fact."

"I...that's good..." He spluttered out as he wrapped his arms around me. I left the hug and slid back into the bed, and noticed the still worried look on Jack's face. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It was..." I swallowed thickly, thinkin',  _'Surely there's nothin' wrong in just tellin' him I was dreamin' about my brother.'_  I cleared my throat and looked up at him with a carefully guarded expression while still holdin' onto the smile that I couldn't help but wear. "It was a good dream about my brother." I then noticed a worried look on Sandy's face as he sat in one of the chairs in the room.

"Huh, you should tell me about him sometime. Must've been a good dream too, because you were out for another three days. We thought you weren't going to wake up for a moment, but I thought perhaps your body need a rest."

"It...it did. Thank you." I smiled up at him.

"You're welcome. Well...I'm off to help Emily with Wolfina. She still hasn't found her, and there's no telling what she's up to. Sandy said he'll keep you comapany for the moment...is that okay?"

"Y-Yes. I should tell him about the dream anyway."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Aster. That is...if you don't conk out for another day or two."

"See ya tomorrow, Frostbite." Once I could tell that Jack was well and truly out of ear shot, even Pooka ear shot, I immediately turned to Sandy and started bawlin' my eyes out.

"Aster! What's wrong!?"

"I...When I fell asleep...Manny summoned me..."

"He...he summoned you into a dream?"

"Yes." I answered with a short laugh as I looked at him through the tears. "And you're not gonna believe what he told me...it um...it involves Jack."

"Wait...but you told Jack that you had a dream about your brother..." He trailed off as a skeptical look crossed his features and his eyes shone with confusion.

"It did! That's the thing! Sandy...Manny knows soul magic. He...I'm not even mad...but he went back in time...while we were all here on Earth...and he knew Jack's fate...and...he talked with Snow..."

"Wait...soul magic!? That's only possible if..."

"If the main soul giver is willin', and if the soul given is the willin' soul giver's reincarnation. Jack...he...he's Snowdrop's reincarnation. When he was dyin'...half of his soul was still holdin' on...then Manny brought him back to life by usin' Snow's soul and he gave it to Jack."

"Jack...he's Snow?"

"YES! They are the same person! Jack is Snow reincarnate and has been from the day is was born in 1698! Then...when Manny gave him Snow's soul...he..."

"He brought Jack back to life...and gave Jack...Snow's powers...as well as immortality." Sandy's eyes widened and tears slowly started to fall from his face. "Y-Your brother...he's alive!"

"I know!" I shouted with a giddy laugh. "Manny thought I would be so mad at him..." I breathed out once I managed to stop my giddy laughter.

"Does he know if Jack knows?"

"No...he doesn't. I..." I let out a heavy sigh, but continued to smile. "I don't even know how I would approach that..."

"I'd say don't. You don't want to confuse Jack, and you don't want to force the memory or realization. That is...if it hasn't happened yet."

"Do you think..." I swallowed down a lump in my throat before lettin' out a shaky sigh. "Do YOU think he knows?"

"It's hard to say...but I think you should try treating him as you always have."

"I...you're right...but how can I do that now that I know who he is and...Sandy...I called him a monster..."

"And that is in the past. Jack practically begged you to leave it there, so just leave it there. Focus on the now, alright?"

"Alright. I'll try my best."

"Good!" He laughed out. "And Aster?"

"Yes?"

"You have a niece."

"I...I have a niece." I confirmed just like I did in the dream, but somehow, sayin' it in the real world made it more...real. "I have a niece and she's beautiful."

"Yes, she is, and Aster..."

"What is it?"

"You know...if he  _were_  to realize or remember...'

"Somethin' drastic would've had to happen. I know...and if that's already happened...I don't know if I want to know what happened to cause his rememberin', but at the same time I do."

"I'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Sandy." I sighed out, and then giggled slightly. "Ya know...this just makes the family even bigger and stranger."

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" He chuckled low.

As I looked at him I noticed that he was still in his more human like form. The one with the armor. "How long have you stayed in that form?"

"Ah...well...I said I figured out how to do it...I never said I tested it."

"You...it's permanent isn't it?"

"Apparently. I can't shift back."

"Have North or Tooth seen you?"

"No, and to my knowledge...no one else but you, Jack, Eira, or Emily."

"When I'm better...this is all gonna be very interestin'."

"Which...judging by how your wounds are closing...will be in a few minutes." He let out a soft laugh as he looked down at my body.

I looked down at my arms and legs. "Huh...must've been Manny's doin'."

"Must've." Sandy confirmed as his eyes widened slightly. "He's the only one I know that would be capable of that. Perhaps this is his form of a thank you for you not getting mad at him."

"Has to be. I wasn't able to heal while I was down." I swung my newly healed legs over the bed and took off the bandages. "Yeah, I'm completely healed." I told him as I started to take off the rest. Once I took off the last bandage, Jack came through the door once again. "Jack?"

"Oh! Good! You're healed! I don't know how you did it, but I'm not gonna complain! Emily found Wolfina, and she's creating more wolves."

"How does she create the wolves?" I asked as I hopped out of bed and put on the holster for my egg bombs and boomerangs.

"She gives normal wolves her blood to drink. It's...weird. Anyway, She's going to start going after children! We found out why too! She's trying to create an ARMY of WEREWOLVES!"

"Well, we can't let that happen..." I chuckled low. "...won't the others be surprised to see Sandy like this."

"You mean...he can't change back?"

"Nope!" Sandy stated with an all too large and mischievous grin. "It'll be so good to see North's reaction, and I believe this is one of those times when the lights need to be activated."

"I agree." I told the both of them. "We may also need Eira and Emily's help."

"Ah...so I guess...this is the time when I tell North and Tooth that I have a daughter and that I'm married to Mother Nature."

"Yeah, seems so, Jacky. Can't have any secrets in this battle."

"Fine..." He groaned out and held out a hand, and one of his sprites appeared. "Keelo?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Tell Mother Nature and Eira to meet us at the North Pole. Just outside of it. Tell them not to go in until Bunny and I are there. Understand?"

"Yes, of course!" The sprite giggled before disappearin' into his hand.

"Um..."

"They can teleport." He stated as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "C'mon we should go."

"Right behind ya, Frostbite."


	8. Chapter 8

Once we all arrived at the North Pole and we all made it inside. The first thing all of us did was look for North. "So..." I heard Eira start with an amazed tone in her voice. "...this is the North Pole."

"Yup." Jack answered, and then he apparently found North, because he backed up towards me a bit. "Ah...North...good to see you."

"You said you would tell me if Bunny's condition gets better." He stated in a huff as he crossed his arms. "Not only do I see he is better...I see you have brought Mother Nature and...well...I don't know the other two spirits."

Sandy grinned mischievously and summoned a sand cloud, floatin' up to to North, who's eyes instantly widened in shock. Sandy then held up a sand symbol of his other form and told him through his sand. "It's me, North. I'm sandy. I just have a different form."

"You...you're Sandy!?" Sandy nodded and floated down back to us, and elbowed Jack.

"Ah...right..." Jack started as he nervously rubbed the back of his head. "First thing's first...we have an emergency. It's about all the children."

"Does it require Northern Lights?"

"Yes, it does." I answered. "There's a spirit out there...wicked, crazy, evil, and power hungry. She's gonna try and turn children into her own personal werewolves. Mother Nature and Jack had run ins with her in the past...but it wasn't enough...now she's tryin' to go after the ankle-biters."

Without needin' to be told anythin' else, North went straight for the control panel and activated the lights. Fifteen minutes later, Tooth came rushin' in. "North! Is everything alright!?" She then turned to see all of us. "Oh! I heard you were hurt!"

"I was, but I'm better now." I told her with an appreciative smile.

"I can see that." She nodded and then looked to Sandy. "S-Sandy...is that you!?" He nodded quickly and held up another Sandy image of himself. "And...who might you be?" She asked as she looked to Jack's side.

"My name is Eira. I am known as the Snow Queen." Eira then gave a polite curtsy. "Pleasure to meet you, Tooth Fairy."

"My goodness...there's no need for that." She giggled lightly. "So...I've heard of the Snow Queen, but never seen you. Why is that?"

"Tell me what you've heard and I'll tell you why." She gave Tooth a mischievous grin that resembled Jack's incredibly, but she didn't seem to notice, and neither did North.

"Well...I've heard that you're Mother Nature's General of Winter and..."

"And you're already wrong." She chuckled out. "I'm not the General of Winter."

"O-Okay...well...I've heard that you can do some of the same things Jack can. You can control and cause winter phenomena, but that you can also communicate with Nature."

"Those are both true. Now...to tell you why you haven't seen me. I am usually traveling with the General of Winter, but I have a unique power." She snapped her fingers and she immediately became completely invisible.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" I heard Jack groan out. He immediately took off flyin' leavin' a stunned North and Tooth, but also leavin' an amused me, Emily, and Sandy. "Get back here!" He shouted as he seemin'ly chased nothin', but then he caught onto somethin'. "Make yourself visible again, now!"

"Jack!" Tooth squeaked in dismay at how Jack spoke to Eira. "That's no way to speak to a lady!"

"Alright." She chuckled out and made herself visible again. "Although, maybe you should listen to the Tooth fairy. That really  _IS_  no way to speak to a lady."

"Show me a lady, and I'll speak to her like one." Jack bellowed out a laugh as the landed back to where they were standin' before.

"Jack!" Tooth shouted again. "Show her some respect!"

"Yeah,  _JACK_...show me some respect." Eira stated with a laugh desperately hidin' away behind her smirk as she crossed her arms.

"Not in this, or any lifetime." Jack shot back with a defiant expression. "Not with that attitude anyway.

"Jack, are you alright, son?" North questioned carefully.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because..." He started, but was quickly interrupted by Tooth.

"Because you're speaking to her like you're her...like...well...like..."

"Like her Father?" Mother Nature stepped forward, feignin' a pissed off expression, but I could tell she was tryin' to hold in her own fit of laughter.

"Well...yes! It's not right! That's no way to speak to another spirit! Especially a lady!" Tooth then hovered over to Eira and gave an apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry for his behavior. He's like a son to me, but apparently doesn't have enough manners!" She glared at Jack, who was tryin' about as desperately as Sandy and I were to hold in a bellowin' laugh. "May I ask you...if you're not the General of Winter...then who is?"

"Jack Frost, of course." She beamed up at Tooth brightly, and both Tooth and North staggered back in shock.

"J-Jack...when were you going to tell us you've been the General of Winter!?" She shrieked in equal measures delight and shock.

"Now seems like a good time." He shrugged with a slight smile.

"I'm sorry we never told you about his being my General of Winter." Mother Nature apologized, but still had to hold in her laughter.

"It's...it's alright." She replied in a calmer manner, but it quickly snapped again. "But Jack...you're behavior was not alright! Jack, you need to show her some respect! And then you chased after her and demanded that she return to being visible...that's no way to speak to a lady!"

Jack then turned to Eira as he rolled his eyes. "Not a WORD, Eira!"

"There you go again! Jack! I want you to apologize to her! She deserves your respect not your rudeness."

"I will not!" He shouted back as if she asked him to do the most ridiculous thing in the world, and from where we stood she did, but Tooth didn't know that.

Suddenly Eira was doubled over, laughin' her ass off. "Oh, by the moon! I can't! This is all too good!" She leaned up just enough to look at Tooth with tears of laughter in her eyes as she quickly laughed out, "Please! Say more! Tell him more!"

"Wh-Why are you laughing?" North questioned curiously. "Toothy is right. Jack was in the wrong. He should've spoken to you in a kinder way."

"Oh my!" Eira laughed out as she straightened herself as much as she could. Once she calmed her laughter, and wiped away her tears. "You have no idea how hilarious all of that was just now!" She chuckled out as she continued to try and catch her breath. She looked to Jack and started gigglin' lightly, but quickly stopped herself. "Can I please!? I don't think I can take much more! Can I tell them?"

"Tell us what?"

Jack walked over to her and shook his head in a fond manner. Once he was facing North and Tooth he let out a heavy sigh. "Go ahead. I don't think I can take much more either."

"Wait...are the two of you...are you two romantically involved." North questioned cautiously.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Jack and Eira shouted together in disgust at their words and now it was Emily's turn to bust out laughin'.

"Mother Nature is...she is laughing." North stated. "She never laughs..."

"Oh, but for this I do. Eira, go ahead and explain, please! They need to know if we are to help the children."

Eira gave a highly amused smile and nodded her head. "My name is Eira, I am known as the Snow Queen, and I..." She looked at Jack and Emily with an even further amused expression if possible, and cleared her throat. "...I am the biological daughter of Jack Frost and Mother Nature." The reaction was almost instantaneous. Tooth stopped flyin' immediately and landed on her rear end, and North staggered back quite a ways. "Huh...I think I broke them, Father..."

"I think we all did." Jack smiled mischievously. "North...Tooth...I would like you to meet my daughter Eira Olivia Frost..." He motioned his hand to Eira before lookin' at Emily and motionin' to her. "...and my wife, Mother Nature. However, I'm pretty sure you already know her."

"D-Daughter!?" North shouted out in disbelief once he was able to form words.

"I..." Tooth started,  _still_  unable to form words.

"Yup, we broke them." Eira chuckled out.

"B-Biological!?" Tooth questioned in astonishment.

"Yes, very much so." Emily confirmed. "I was pregnant for nine months and a week. Jack was there for it all, giving me his full support. When Eira was born, he looked after her with more Fatherly affection I had ever seen...and still does, as you can see...even scolding is a part of Fatherly affection..."

"Yes, I love my daughter very much..." He then turned to Eira with a slight scowl that was mixed with amusement somehow. "...and you are lucky my hair is already white otherwise you would've caused me gray hairs. Immortal or not. I did NOT need you becoming invisible in North's workshop, and really...you should've known better by now! You've snuck in enough times, and I've had to try and break in to..."

"Wait...that is why you had tried to bust in?" North questioned as he a look of realization crossed his face.

"And I never made it past the Yeti. She's been in here more than I have. So, yes...that is why I've been trying to bust in here for years...because Eira thought it was always so funny that I would get caught by the yeti, but she wouldn't."

"Well..." Sandy came forward with his dream sand making symbols so that Tooth and North could read his words. "...Mother Nature, do you think I should tell them about me since this is irreversible?"

"It...would unfortunately be a good idea."

"Very well..."

"Sandy...what are you..." North started, but was quickly interrupted by Sandy.

"I'm Pitch's younger brother. Sanderson Mansnoozie Pitchiner. There, I've said it, and I trust you'll keep it a secret."

"YOUNGER BROTHER!?" North bellowed out in shock.

"Yes, but trust me...I'm fine. Now...back to Jack and his daughter..."

"Oh,  _thanks_  for that, Sandy!" Jack laughed out.

"You're welcome!" He gave Jack a sarcastic smile, and I was just shakin' my head at the whole thing.

"Now...as much as I would love to tell all of you more...there is a serious situation where the children need ALL of us." Then Jack began to explain his long history with Wolfina and how he told Emily to spare her, and even about the blizzard of '68, which he defended me numerous times about towards North and Tooth who were glarin' at me, and then he told them about her most recent visit. "...and now she's going to try and create an ARMY of werewolves out of children."

"We must get to her first!" North shouted with determination.

"My thoughts exactly, mate!" I chimed in once I believed I wouldn't chuckle at how amusin'ly broken they were moments ago.

"Oh! Do I get to ride in the sleigh!?" Eira asked as she bounced up and down like a child.

Jack chuckled and gave a questionin' glance to North. "Ask your Grandfather."

"G-Grandfather...that is...going to take some getting used to." I could clearly see the pure Joy in North's eyes, and if Jack's broad smile was anythin' to go by, he felt it all. "Yes! To the sleigh! Do you happen to know where she is?"

"Hmm..." Jack held out both of his hands and six sprites came out of it, shockin' North and Tooth even further. Then, they grew to be the same height as Jack. "Klaina, Keelo, Crystal, L'teal, Aelro, and Onra..."

"Yes, Jack?" They all chorused.

"I need you to go to each continent. Klaina, I need you to go to North America, Keelo, I need you to go to South America, Crystal, I need you to go to Asia, L'teal I need you to go to Europe, Aelro, I need you to go to Australia, and Onra, I need you to go to Africa. I need all of you to look for any signs of Wolfina."

"On our way!" They all spun around before disappearin' into thin air.

Jack turned to face North and Tooth and their jaws were dropped completely. "Again...I promise to explain everything after we deal with Wolfina. Right now, the children need us."

"Will they be able to report back in time?" North questioned curiously.

"I bet you one of them will come back with a report while we're flying in the sleigh."

"We will see." He nodded his head. "To the sleigh!"

Once we all got to the sleigh and it came out of it's hanger I watched as Eira jumped up and down excitedly. "I get to ride in the sleigh!"

"You're like a child again." Jack chuckled out.

"No! I just..."

"You just share your Father's childish side."

"And since when was that a bad thing!" Jack laughed out as he jumped into the sleigh and held his hand out to Emily to help her in like a perfect gentleman.

"It's not." Emily told him with a small smile as she got into the sleigh.

We all managed to fit, but before I could get situated North cracked the reigns and we were rushin' through his tunnel at lightnin' speed. Jack, in all of the mayhem that is always a sleigh ride with North, he came down to me and helped me get situated into my seat. "You alright, Cottontail?"

"Yeah, thanks..." I breathed out once I was stable.

"No problem."

Suddenly we heard North bellowin' out in laughter, and we all knew we were nearin' the edge of the tunnel. "WOO HOO!" Eira shouted as the reign deer flew off of the platform. "Whoa!"

"I had the same reaction." Jack chuckled out as he watched Eira jumpin' up and down as she looked at either side of the sleigh. Then, Jack jumped up out of the sleigh and started flyin' alongside it.

"You like sleigh, Snow Queen?"

"You can call me Eira." She giggled. "And yes, I love it very much!"

I looked over to Jack who was flyin' and seemin'ly goin' unnoticed by everyone else, and the look on his face was one of pure bliss as he flew with his eyes closed.  _'Enjoyin' ourselves, Frostbite?'_

 _'Very much. I'm glad it's not a secret anymore...at least not among my friends and family.'_  I could hear the peaceful chuckle at the end and it caused me to smile.

' _I'm glad your happy 'bout it. So...how are we gonna deal with Wolfina?'_

_'Hopefully we could probably lure her somewhere that snows often.'_

_'Are you gonna try what you did Easter Sunday of '68?'_

_'I'm not seeing much of a choice. I just have no idea how we're going to lure her.'_

_'How does she get around anyway?'_

_'Her wolves can fly.'_

_'Oh, well that's just great!'_

_'Yeah, giant fluffy flying Abbeys to you, I'm sure.'_

_'Don't even get me started on that dingo.'_

Before he could say anythin' more, a spire started to appear alongside him. "Jack! I found her!"

"Klaina! Where is she?"

"In Burgess!"

"Again!?" Jack groaned out. "Go get your sisters!"

"Good luck, Jack!" She disappeared and Jack flew alongside North as he held tight to the reigns and started takin' out a snow globe.

"Burgess!" He shouted and threw the snow globe.

Once we were through and we landed on Jack's ever frozen pond, we all jumped out immediately and I heard the familiar snarlin' of Wolfina's wolves. I turned around and immediately threw a boomerang at the sound. I missed, but everyone else saw her then too. "Wolfina!" Jack growled out.

"How the hell is the Bunny alive!?"

"That's none of your business!" I shouted. "Ya need to leave...leave the ankle-biters alone!"

"Oh, no! I'm not gonna do that! They're going to be part of my new army and...Oh...Mother Nature, how nice of you to join us! I see you've brought your General of Winter...the Snow Queen!"

"I am NOT the General of Winter! Jack is!"

"I still refuse to believe that! How can a boy surpass a Queen!?"

"Well, too bad you won't find out!" Jack growled and started sendin' ice shards at her wolves immediately, quickly bloodyin' them up. He stopped his attack just long enough to see Wolfina's shock. "Have you turned any of the children in the area?"

"You haven't given me the chance!" She shouted in agitation.

"GOOD! Now, how about we have a rematch of '68?"

"A rematch? You won that battle!"

"That I did, but don't you want the chance to get back at me?"

"I want to get back at Mother Nature! I could care less about you! You were foolish enough to spare me!"

"Ah, but you see...I suggested your punishment."

"You...you forced me to be trapped in the Rain Forest!?"

"Yes, and you deserved it!" Jack shouted as he pointed his staff at her. "Answer my question."

"A rematch...? What do you get if you win again?"

"You will never harm anyone ever again." To anyone else, that would've been a request, but from what I knew and what I saw from the blizzard of '68, that wasn't a request...it was an absolution.

"Fine, but what do I get if I win?"

"Your freedom." He growled low as he inched closer to her.

"I like the sound of that." She grinned wickedly. "What are the terms of the rematch?"

"Each of us get to invite whoever we want to the battle, it has to be in Antarctica, and it's a no holds barred."

"No holds barred...and I can invite anyone I want? Are you sure you want me to be able to invite anyone I want? You do know that I've gained control of Wendigos...right?"

"Yes, I'm well aware, and the offer still stands! Yes or no!?"

"You have your rematch." She laughed out darkly. "I will meet you in Antarctica within two hours.

"Two hours." He repeated and straightened himself as she took her wolves and flew away.

"Jack..." Tooth started. "...are you sure you want to offer her...her freedom?"

"It's the only thing she cares about other than herself." Jack sighed out as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Will all of you help me?"

"We'll help you, Jack." North answered firmly. "However, I am thinking that we will not be enough if she also brings Wendigo."

"Oh...I have a plan." He tapped the crook of his staff three times on the ice and a bright green portal appeared.

"Smart plan, Jack." Emily hummed and walked through.

"Thank you, now come on...it's perfectly safe I promise. I just have to be the last one through."

Everyone agreed, and we all walked through. I was the second to last through, and my eyes widened in complete astonishment at where we were at. I heard Jack come in behind me, but I was too shocked to look at him. In front of us was a large and grand black castle covered in green moss, vines, and glowin' magical flowers along the vines. There was a garden to our left and what seemed to be a trainin' grounds to the far right. "J-Jack..." I whispered out.

"Welcome to my home. Well, the second part of my home. The pond is the first part of my home."

"FATHER!" We immediately heard a group of people shout. Jack ran out to the middle, away from us and held his arms open wide. Then, almost immediately, nine spirits came rushin' towards him and started huggin' him. They all seemed to be physically older than Jack, but they hovered around him and hugged him like he was really their Father.

"Alright, everyone!" Jack laughed with his normal childish laugh, and he looked over at us. "I have introductions to make."

"Oh! You brought friends! Mother said it was okay?" One of the spirits asked.

"Yes, I said it was okay." Emily chuckled.

"So! I'm sure you all know North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny..."

"Yes!" They chorused together with delighted faces.

"North and Tooth...I told Bunny and Sandy...but these are my adoptive children. However, I don't like using that word. So...these are my other children. This is Adara, she's a fire spirit."

The woman Jack pointed to looked to be just a little older than Jack, but not by much and had bright orange hair and glowin' red eyes. She was just a little taller than Jack and she wore a solid red tank top with black shorts and black sandals. "Hello."

"This one is Mesi, she's a water spirit."

The next one he pointed to seemed to be in her early twenties and had short brown hair with light blue highlights at the bottom of her hair. Her eyes were a deep cerulean blue. She wore a what looked like a blue Egyptian dress that ended just before her ankles and she had bracers on her upper arms that seemed to be made of gold and they had an open design that looked like weaved in an out of each other, showin' some of her arm though the gaps. "Pleasure to meet you." She smiled brightly.

"This one is Nimbus. He's a storm spirit and a stubborn one too."

"Hey now!" Nimbus chuckled out. He seemed to be in his late thirties and had short but shaggy looking dark gray hair. His eyes were a storm gray color, and he wore what looked to be decorative robes that layered over each other and there was a steel gray sash that tied around his waist, and he was barefoot. We recognized him along with Bram, because after the battle with Pitch Mother Nature had come to get him, and those two were with him, but I hadn't realized just how close the two of them were to Jack. "Good to meet you."

"This one is Isla, and she's an Earth spirit."

The one Jack pointed to then seemed to be in her mid to late twenties. Her skin was a dark tan color, her eyes were a maple colored brown with flecks of green, and her hair was long as it cascaded down her back with a chestnut color. She wore a tank top that revealed her belly, and she had loose see through sleeves that ran the length of her arms. Her pants were Tai styled pants that were green with brown swirls sewn into the design, and she was barefoot. "Greetings." She said softly as she gave a short nod of her head.

"This one is Abungu, he's a forest spirit."

The one he pointed to was a little taller than me, seemed to be in his mid to late thirties, and had chocolate colored skin, while wearin' what looked like to be Tribal African styled clothin' that left the left side of his chest and shoulder open due to the green, black, red, and orange robes that had small tints of brown in some areas. He had no hair, but his eyes were a deep forest green. "Salutations, friends!"

"This is Bram, he's an animal spirit that can communicate with and transform into any type of bird." He told us with a bright smile, and although we had already indirectly met him, Jack was still gonna properly introduce his family to us.

The man he pointed to seemed to be in his early twenties, had jet black hair, but had piercing golden eyes. He wore a normal white T-shirt, black pants, and black sandals. "Very nice to meet you."

"This is Autumn, and you'll never guess what she does."

"I'm gonna guess somethin' to do with fall." I smirked as I crossed my arms.

"Exactly!" Jack shouted. "She's the General of Autumn."

The woman he pointed to seemed to be closer to her late thirties, she had auburn colored hair, burnt orange eyes, and she wore a simple bright orange dress that had brown leaves sewn into the bottom of the dress, and she didn't wear shoes either. "Hello! It's so nice to meet you!"

"This is Flora, and she is the General of Spring."

The woman she pointed to was probably physically two years older than Jack. Her hair was dark pink mixed with green and her eyes were surprisin'ly not green, but a light lavender color. She wore a green dress that stopped at her knees, black leggin's, and black flats. "Hi." She said simply as she hid behind Jack.

"Ah...she um...physically she's sixteen, but mentally she's ten and very shy. However, don't let that fool you. Once you get to know her, she can be almost as fierce as Emily...almost. Also, once you get to know her...it's hard to get her to stop talking. Not that I mind, it's nice. Come on out, they're not gonna hurt you. They're here with me to ask for help."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Once Jack smiled at her she nodded her head and looked out to us with a brighter smile. "Now...you were just introduced. What do you say?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Jack nodded his head and gave her a proud smile. "Good job." He then looked back at us and pointed to the last spirit. "And this is Summer. He's the General of Summer."

The person Jack pointed to was the same height as Jack, and I noticed...seemed to be about the same physical age rather than older like I had thought when they were all swarmin' him. His hair was a sun-kissed dirty blond, his eyes were a sky blue color, and he wore a simple red shirt with black pants and no shoes. "Glad to finally meet Father's friends."

"It's nice to meet you all." Tooth smiled brightly at them all.

"Good to meet Jack's family." North stated.

"A pleasure to meet all of you." I told them with an honest smile. "However, I gotta ask...a lot of you look physically older than Jack...why do you call him Father?"

 _'I already told you...'_  Jack told me mentally.

_'Yeah, but I want to hear it from them.'_

Abungu stepped forward with a soft smile. "Because he is Father. He married our Mother, and became our Father."

"But it's more than that..." Flora piped up.

"Yes, it is...isn't it." Nimbus commented as he gave Flora a kind smile. He then turned to look at us with understandin' eyes. "When he joined us, he treated Mother with every ounce of respect and love a king would his queen. Even if they didn't know it yet, we knew."

"Yes! We knew it was love at first sight for both of them!" Bram chuckled out. "The two love birds danced around each other until they actually danced. I was there for that, and the look on both of their faces was one of pure love, but neither of them would admit it...not until a hundred years later."

"That's not all of it either." Isla calmly stated with a smile. "Rather than just acknowledging us as every spirit did, he took the time to get to know us individually. He was there for us when we would become angry or upset, and he was quick to soothe any ache or wound we would gain. He would spend time with us, and he made us feel loved. Even though we're physically older than him...he treated us with the same love and affection that Mother did. Age and physical appearance didn't matter at all to him. He treated us as his own. When he got to know us..." She trailed off as if she couldn't find the words anymore.

Adara came forward and nodded her head at Isla. "When he got to know us...it wasn't just to know what we were like. He wasn't asking for favorite past times...likes and dislikes...even though he did ask for those...He asked about US as a family! Not only that, but he when he found out we had past lives, he would ask about it. He would continuously make sure we were all well and happy. When he started to get to know us, he listened to every word we had to say, and if the memory of our past was painful, he would calm us and tell us it was going to be okay. When he got to know us...it meant everything."

"It did..." Autumn answered as she looked at Jack. "...because suddenly...to another spirit other than Mother...we were more than our powers. We were people again. Then, when we all collectively noticed the pure but hidden love between Mother and Father...it reminded us of how a Father loves a Mother...how a King loves his Queen and vice versa."

Mesi stepped forward with a light chuckle. "And then when Mother and Father told us they planned to get married and that they had confessed their love..."

"We all told them it was about time." Abungu finished with a hearty laugh. "We celebrated when they got married, but then even better news happened, and considering you have brought them here they know."

"Yes, they know about Eira." Jack answered proudly.

"Good...then...the better news was that Mother was pregnant with Father's child."

"We all decided in that moment that we would guard and protect our little sister with our lives and we offered to willingly give up our powers to do so." Nimbus smiled fondly at Eira, who started blushin' lightly, but smiled back. "There are many more than just us that call him Father. We're just the ones that are here right now, and now that you know how and why he's our Father...what is it you need?"

"Do you remember Wolfina?" Jack questioned, and they all instantly became furious.

"That...abomination!?" Abungu shouted. "What has she done now!?"

"She was going to try and turn children into werewolves, and I couldn't allow that. So, I challenged her to a rematch in Antarctica. A rematch of '68."

"Ah...the blizzard..." Nimbus nodded his head. "...and what are the conditions?"

"I can invite anyone I wish to fight by my side, it's in Antarctica, and it's no holds barred. We can go all out!"

"Father is going to fight without his staff!" Flora cheered as she jumped up and down.

"Wait...Jack..." Tooth spoke with a confused look on her face. "You can fight without it?"

"Yeah, I just don't like to. The staff is a part of me, and I'm going to have to give it to someone I trust a bit more than my wife and children. No offense..."

"None taken." They all collectively said, causin' Jack to belt out a laugh.

"Well then!" He chuckled lightly, then he turned to me. "Here." He said as he gave me his staff, and considerin' I knew just how much of a part of him the staff was, I became instantly breathless and my jaw dropped as I took it with my paws shakin' likey crazy.

"I...I...J-Jack..."

"I trust you, Aster."

Those four words were enough to have me clutchin' to the staff for dear life.  _'He just handed me his heart and soul and is trustin' me with it!'_ I looked down at the staff and knew exactly what to do with it. I tapped my foot twice and dropped the staff down the hole. "It'll be back in my burrow."

"Safest place I know other than here."

"Hey! North Pole is safe place!" North defended as he crossed his arms.

"My daughter snuck in past your yeti." Jack sent a smug and knowin' look his way.

North sighed out and nodded his head in defeat. "Fair enough."

"Good...so..." Jack turned back around to face his family. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but..."

"YES!" The nine spirits shouted with determination.

"Well alright then!" I laughed out. "Looks like we have a chance!"

"That we do...now come on, let's go to Antarctica. Everyone else can fly, but um..." He looked to me with a sly smirk. "...can we take your tunnels?"

"Don't have to ask me twice!" I belted out as I quickly tapped my foot to the ground, and made a tunnel that led to Antarctica.

_**oOoOoOoOoOoOo** _

Once we all made it to Antarctica, it didn't take us long to find Wolfina, but the beings that were with her caught us a bit off guard. With her were her wolves, of course, but there were also Wendigos, werewolves, and to the right of her stood was a fox spirit with six tails. He had pale orange hair, golden eyes, and pale skin. He wore a cape made of fox fur, an orange dress shirt with a black vest, and he wore black dress shoes. "Good of you to finally join us." Wolfina grinned wickedly. "Oh? Mother Nature, I believe it was to be JACK who brought the company, not you."

"I DID bring them."

"Oh? And how is it that they've become faithful to you?"

"That is none of your concern, Abomination!" Abungu growled out.

"No...I'll let her know." Jack stepped forward confidently. "She won't live through the battle. Not this time. She's done enough damage, and she plays no part in the balance of things...and more importantly...she tried to go after children. So, I will let her know."

"Let me know what!? And how DARE you speak to me in that tone of voice!?"

"It is you, who needs to watch their tongue!" Abungu spat.

"Wolfina..." Jack's smirk upturned into a wicked and confident smile, and I just crossed my arms waitin' for the reaction. "...I would like you to me my children. Oh, and, Eira, can you come forward, sweetie."

"Yes?" She chimed with amusement as she stepped forward.

Jack turned towards Wolfina as he wrapped an arm around Eira, and he gave her a pointed look that held daggers ready to strike at any moment. "I believe you met my wife...Mother Nature, but this...Eira...she is our daughter."

"W-Wife!? D-Daughter!? Ch-Children!? Wha-How!?"

"Ah...now see..." Jack leaned his head in a childish manner to the left and right before settlin' his eyes back on her. "You don't deserve to know that story." He lifted up his hand and summoned snow from the ground. He clenched his fist and all of the snowflakes turned into what looked to be many sharp knives and daggers, but were minuscule. He waved his hand towards her, and the sharp snowflakes turned ice daggers rushed towards her, cuttin' up her and the wolves, but didn't quite reach the Wendigo, werewolves, or fox spirit.

_'I thought you said you weren't going to kill her.'_

_'I'm not...Emily is going to deal the final blow. All I have to do is injure and wound her as much as possible.'_

"Y-You can't be...!" Wolfina screeched after the miniature ice daggers went away. "You're lying!"

"How dare you speak to Father that way!?" Nimbus shouted and summoned lightning to crash down on the Wendigo, effectively killin' and burnin' at least four of them.

"Don't worry about it, Nimbus, she didn't know before today." Jack told him with a reassurin' hand placed on his shoulder. Then, he turned his gaze to Wolfina. "Are you gonna just stand there or are we gonna have a rematch? OR...is it that now that you know I am Mother Nature's husband and these are my children...you surrender?"

"NEVER!" She screamed. "I will NEVER surrender! I will take what I believe to be rightfully mine!" She kicked the sides of the wolf she was on, and the battle started.

"Jack! The ice wolves!"

"Right!" Jack placed his hands on the ground that was already at least six to eight feet of snow, and quickly brought his hands up, bringin' four snow wolves up with him.

"Uh...Jack, Bunny...not to be rude, but how are snowmen-wolves going to help battle?" North asked quickly as he fought off a Wendigo and ran it through.

"Like this!" Jack growled out and snapped his fingers, bringin' the wolves to life as the snow flew away to reveal their pure ice-like bodies. "Attack, but don't kill!"

We fought for what felt like three straight hours, and somehow we only had some minor scratches, burns, and bruises. Abungu was conjuring branches from his hands and makin' them as sharp as swords, and started fightin' as if he were an expert duel wilder. Nimbus constantly threw lightning and summoned thunder to disorient the wolves, but once he realized it was disorientin' me too, he stopped and focused on lightning. Flora would press a hand on a Wendigo's chest and make a sharp and thorny rose bush bloom from the inside out. Adara would scorch all of the fallen werewolves and Wendigo, and when she wasn't doing that, she made the Wendigo burn from the inside out until they bursted into flames. All Mesi had to do was grip hard on a werewolf's or Wendigo's arm and she could instantly dehydrate them. Bram turned into an Eagle and started clawin' out the larger wolves eyes, to make them blind. Autumn and Summer worked together with their expert archery skills and as Autumn shot wooden arrows with an autumn aura surroundin' it, Summer shot pure steel arrows that seemed like they had soaked up the heat of the sun like a child's metal slide at the park. "NO!" Wolfina shouted as Isla took care of the last werewolf by summonin' the earth from beneath it and crushed it. All that was left were the Wendigo, and North, Tooth, and Sandy had that taken care of. Meanwhile, Jack, Eira, Emily, and I were keeping a close eye on Wolfina to make sure she didn't try to escape, and Jack's children slowly started to surround her.

Wolfina gave a wicked grin and tried to repeat her actions from a week and a half ago, but Jack stopped her by summoning an ice shield that knocked her into an ice wall that was already there. "I will not let you hurt my brother!" Jack growled low. So low, unless you were a Pooka or an animal, you wouldn't have been able to hear it.

 _'B-Brother?'_  I asked Jack as my heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears and feel it in my knees.

_'It's...really something Manny should...'_

_'Snowdrop?'_  I questioned quickly with anxiousness risin' thickly in my throat.

_'He told you...that's...that's good.'_

_'Y-You...you're really Snowdrop? My little brother?'_

_'Yes.'_  Though he was still glarin' at Wolfina, I could hear the sympathetic smile in his voice.

_'For how long?'_

_'Um...since I put my staff back together. Not when I looked in my memory box, but when I put my staff back together. I'm still also Jack...we're the same person. I'm both. It's like...it's like how some spirits get a new name. That's all that really happened...but I also have a new body. I remember everything. Everything from both lives. It's like...I fell asleep as a Pooka, but woke up as a human boy named Jackson. However...you need to try to keep a level head until we get back to the Pole...you don't want to worry the others.'_

_'Right...and then...'_

_'And then we'll talk more. As much as you want.'_

"What are we gonna do with her?" I asked carefully.

Mother Nature came forward and without warnin', lunged an emerald dagger into Wolfina's core. As she took the dagger out, the wound closed and a brilliant light shined over Wolfina. "She's human. She has no powers, and no immortality. She'll still live, but she'll never see another spirit for as long as she lives, and she will not remember this life. Furthermore, her children will only EVER know of the Guardians, and not anyone else." We looked over to her large wolves and they vanished as if they never existed. Emily then looked down to Wolfina and lifted her up out of the snow. "I'll take her to Scotland. She'll find a good family there. Everyone should meet back at my domain. Jack...take them there, please." Within the blink of an eye she was gone.

_'Does Emily know who and what you are?'_

_'She does, and even though Manny told her in secret while I was asleep during our honeymoon...I think she's known for a while longer than that. Now that I think about it...she DID know...she would've had to have known since the moment I...either way, she apparently didn't mind at all...if our child is anything to go by. When I told her about what I found out...I was terrified she wouldn't love me anymore, but she told me she already knew and still loved me for me.'_

"We need to go back home, Father."

_'Do your children know?'_

_'I don't know. I haven't told them anything. I'm sure Emily will be able to tell us when we all get back.'_  He turned to Abungu and smiled. "You're right." He then lifted his hand and caused the snow to lift up into the air. Then, right before our eyes, the snow turned green and turned into a portal. "Everyone in...North...can you tell your reign deer to go back to the Pole?"

"Yes. They know the way home. I do not need to always hold reigns."

"Good. We all have a lot to talk about."


	9. Chapter 9

Once we were all gathered together, I watched Jack walk up to Emily with a nervous expression. "I...I told him." He told her, and she immediately looked at me.

"You told him the truth? Of...who you are?"

"Yeah...I think he's still in a bit of shock...but not as much shock as the others will be."

"Right..."

"Why would be in shock? We know who Jack is." North crossed his arms waiting for a response.

 _'I take it...'_  I heard Sandy start.  _'...he knows?'_

_'And has known since he had to mend his staff...four years ago.'_

_'Oh...'_

"Well...I'm...a bit different than what you think..." Jack drawled out as he held Emily's hand for comfort.

"How different?" Tooth questioned as she noticed Jack's anxiousness.

"Like um...like Pooka different." He then looked to his children who were extremely concerned and confused. "A Pooka is what Bunny is."

"Jack...are you well? You don't even look like a Pooka. Why do you say such things?"

"Because...they're true..."

"They can't be true. Why do you lie? Do you know how much your words hurt Bunny!?" North shouted, and at that point I stood in front of Jack.

"His words don't hurt me! They don't hurt, because I know they're true. Manny told me so himself. He preformed soul magic on my little brother from my home world, and he knew that Jack as a human was his reincarnation. So, Manny offered my little brother a chance to live past the battle...and well...that's Jack. They're both the same. It's as if Snow...my little brother...fell asleep a Pooka and woke up as human Jack...but he found everythin' out once he had to put his staff back together after we ran him off at Easter. Pitch had snapped it...affectin' his heart and soul...and therefore, activatin' the memories of my little brother when the staff was put back together. They're one in the same. He's not lyin'."

A moon beam shined down on all of us and we heard Manny speak.  _ **"Aster and Jack are not lying. I did indeed do this, and I was honestly frightened that Aster would be angry with me for not only time traveling, but for preforming soul magic. Both are considered forbidden arts, but I did it for Aster. They are both telling the truth. Do with the information what you will, but know...they are telling the truth."**_

"J-Jack...you're...you're Bunny's original little brother reincarnated?"

"I am...otherwise the spell wouldn't have worked. When I...when I was dying as a human...there was just enough of my soul left to bring me back to life if I was given my Pooka soul, and I was...but because of the two souls and the fact that I was nearly dead...I didn't have any memory of anything."

"Bunny...are you okay?" Tooth questioned, and I could hear the concern in her voice.

"I'm more than okay, believe me. I have my brother back, and I have a lot of makin' up to do, but...I have him back." A few tears left my eyes, but I didn't care.

"So..." I heard Abungu start with an amused expression. "...are you telling us that you used to look like that?"

Jack chuckled and nodded his head. "Yes, but I was taller. Aster is 6'1, but I was 6'6. I may have been the youngest, but I was the tallest."

"Wait a minute...!" My eyes widened and I glared at Jack. "...you found out FOUR YEARS AGO! You ALREADY KNEW about Sandy and I!"

"Oh, but it was absolutely hilarious to see your reaction! Don't worry...a lot of the questions I asked you or Sandy...they were completely genuine, because I wanted to make sure everything was still the same."

"I'm gonna get you back for that!"

"If you can." Jack challenged.

"Father?" Flora came forward as she looked back and forth at me and Jack.

"Yes, Flora?"

"Um...your soul...it's not different is it? You still love us right?"

"Oh!" Jack pouted slightly as he wrapped his arms around Flora. "Of course I love you. I love all of you! Nothing could stop me from loving my children!"

The moon then shined on Jack again and Flora immediately stepped back. _**"Jack Frost, I will add to your powers. A gift...something I planned to add much later, but I believe your soul will be able to take it. You'll know it when you are done glowing, and also...as a thank you to both you and Aster for not being angry with me."**_

Jack started glowin' a bright white, and I had to actually shield my eyes from him. After about three minutes of pure blinding light, the glow finally dimmed. I looked at Jack, and nothin' changed, but he was lookin' at himself grinnin' like a fool. "Jack?"

"Aster! I know what he gave me, and you're not gonna believe it...but first...children...come here." All of the spirits came towards him and they huddled around him, and he whispered somethin' to them that had them all wearin' the same grin Jack was wearin'. "So you think I should?"

"Yeah!" They all said at different times.

"Go for it! I wanna see!" Isla shouted with a wide smile.

"Alright then...let me ask your Mother. Emily..." He then whispered into her ear and an amused smile grew on her face.

She looked at him with soft and lovin' eyes as she nodded her head. "I think you should. I won't love you any less. You're my husband and the love of my very long life."

"Good." He then turned to me and gave me a knowin' smile. "Alright, you ready"

"As I'll ever be..."

"Okay..." He trailed off with a smile and then I watched as the same bright light encompassed him, and I watched him grow taller. Then, the white light shined a bit brighter just before disappearin', but when it did, it revealed my little brother. My POOKA little brother. His fur was as white as snow, and he had silver snowflakes markin' the arms of his fur, a small silver snowflake in the middle of his head, and his eyes were still ice blue. "Surprise." He told me, and the voice belonged to Jack. It was then that I realized that Jack and Snow had the same EXACT voice.

"S-Snow!" I shouted in disbelief. "Y-You're...you're a..."

"So this is what Father used to look like..." Nimbus came forward and inspected Jack's Pooka form. "I'm gonna be honest...this suits him way better than a teenager."

"Oh gee...thanks for that!" He laughed out, and then turned to face North, Tooth, and Sandy who were gapin' at him slack jawed. "Uh...guys?" Jack questioned and his ears went back in embarrassment, and oh how I missed Snow's facial expressions!

"Jack...you're a Pooka!" Tooth blinked in surprise.

"Uh...yeah...I am. Is that okay?" He questioned, his ears showin' that he's gettin' more anxious by the second.

"Yes, I mean...it's just unexpected."

"Hey, how do you think I feel? I thought I was never gonna be a Pooka again."

"Jack...you are Bunny..."

"Ah...no..." Jack laughed out. "My Pookan name is Snowdrop Frost Bunnymund."

"Oh my..." I faced palmed myself as I didn't notice the clear similarity in names. "I'm an idiot."

"I've been trying to tell you that for years."

"Not a word, Snow."

"Not likely." He laughed out and started glowin' again. I watched as he got shorter, but surprisin'ly not by much. Once he finished transformin' back in to Jack, he wasn't  _exactly_  Jack. He looked at our shocked faces and raised an eyebrow at us. "What is it?"

"Uh...Jack...any chance ya can create a life sized body mirror out of ice? And uh...I'm gonna need you to make it about 6'2." I told him as my eyes stayed wide on him, and how he was also newly dressed.

He gave me a skeptical look and created a perfect mirror in front of him, and noticed what we all noticed. He was no longer wearing a hoodie and brown pants, and he wasn't his normal height anymore. Hell, he wasn't his physical age anymore. He was now physically twenty. He was clean shaven, of course, and his hair and eye color were the same, but his clothes were somethin' else. He wore a deep sapphire blue colonial styled shirt, with a white dress vest that had swirls and snowflakes embroidered into the vest with silver thread, his pants were black and fit his legs like his old pants did, but these weren't torn at the bottom. However, they did have the leather straps around the calves. He also wore a sapphire blue cape that stopped just before the back of his knees. "I...I look..."

"Ya look like a King!" I shouted without thinkin'.

"Well..." Adara started. "...Mother is also known as the QUEEN of Nature. So, when they got married."

"Oh..." I breathed out, and then I looked at Emily who hadn't moved a muscle as she stared at Jack with widened eyes.

"Um..." Jack turned to face Emily and quickly took note of the expression on her face. "Emily?"

She didn't say anythin' at first. She merely started walkin' towards him and took in his built and slightly chiseled tone. He gained muscle in his transformation, and looked fit for any kind of battle he may face. She looked at him and placed her right hand on his cheek. "Jack?" She questioned as she looked up into his eyes.

"It's me, Emily." He breathed out as he held the hand that held his cheek. Apparently, he didn't think that was enough, so he slowly leaned down and kissed her.

Amusin'ly enough, Emily's knees noticeably became weak, and Jack held onto her tighter, deepenin' the kiss. Once the kiss ended, Jack helped Emily to stand as straight as she could. "I..." She drawled out in a daze as she looked back up at Jack.

"Um...I know this may sound ridiculous...but what do you think of this form? I hope you're not upset."

"U-Upset? Wh-Why w-would I be upset!?"

"Well...because I don't look like the same person."

"No, but the way your dressed, and the height difference...that's nice and um..."

"Emily?" He breathed out just before he gave her another quick kiss on the lips. "What do you think?"

"I-I think...I think we may end up giving Eira a sibling soon..." She stated with a blush as she looked up at Jack.

"I wouldn't mind that." Jack chuckled low, but then seemed to remember that we were all here. He cleared his throat and he and Emily stood straighter, if a bit flushed. "Well...this certainly makes things different and interesting from now on."

"No kiddin'." I bellowed out in a laugh.

"Oh..." He looked to his smilin' children, and his daughter Eira. "...I have SO many embarrassing stories about your Uncle Aster that I can tell you now!"

"Wahoo! Story time with Father!" Flora and Nimbus cheered together.

"Can't wait to hear this." Bram chuckled low.

"Now, c'mon...we don't really have to...do we?"

"Oh, but you see...it's been thousands of years for you, but only a little over three hundred for me. So, yes...brother. I have to."

"Fine...but Sandy doesn't get to add in."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll add some embarrassing stories about Sandy too." Jack giggled as he caught the instant glare from Sandy. "So...what should I tell you all first?" Jack questioned as he created ice chairs everywhere, and we all started to sit down. "Oh! I know! How about the beginning of Sandy and Aster's friendship!"

"Oh no..." I groaned out.

"Oh yes!" He grinned back. "So...first off...Sandy taught the Easter Bunny how to paint and..."

And the evenin' continued for longer than I thought with Jack tellin' stories about me. Some embarrasin' some I enjoyed relivin', but none of that matter to me, because not only did I have my little brother back, I had a full family, and I wasn't alone anymore.  _'I'm not alone anymore...'_  I thought as I continued to hear him tell his tales of our 'adventures' and I listened on with complete and utter joy in my heart, knowin' that this isn't a dream, and that we had many more 'adventures' to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion Piece is FINALLY up AND Completed and it's 122k words. It's in Jack's POV from when he came out of the pond, and then his POV of the fight with Wolfina. Please go check it out! AND THANKS FOR READING! The Companion Piece can also be read as a stand alone.
> 
> The Companion piece is called 'Family, Souls, and Revealed Secrets'


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